Syrah Estate Reserve 2018 – Lismore

Syrah Estate Reserve Lismore is vinified using minimal intervention, allowing the wine showcase this special terroir. 40% of the grapes were whole bunch pressed, and the juice was slowly extracted. The Syrah Estate Reserve Lismore juice was cold settled for 48 hours followed by fermentation with a 28 extended maceration to ensure the desired level of extraction and structure was imparted. The wine was matured 500 litre Burgundian barrels of which 35% were new for 11 months.

Having pioneered a new extreme cool climate region in South Africa, Samantha chose to release an Estate Reserve range to illustrate what the vineyards are capable of. The wines are produced from very low yielding vines. The vineyard is planted at 300 metres above sea level, in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. The vines are grown in decomposed shale over clay soils and are dry farmed, which contributes to the deep concentration in the wine. Low mean temperatures during February contribute to an extended ripening period, resulting in a harvest period which can be three to four weeks later than traditional wine
growing regions in South Africa.

In Lismore Estate Vineyards the Californian Samantha O’Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Hidden at the foot of a spectacular mountain range in the lower part of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born next to its nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 meters, cooled by winter snow and fed by the African summer sun, produces classic wines, with a fresh climate, rich, complex and handcrafted.