Porseleinberg - Red 2021
Price: $89.99
| Producer | Porseleinberg |
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| Country | South Africa |
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| Region | Western Cape |
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| Subregion | Swartland |
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| Varietal | Syrah |
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| Vintage | 2021 |
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| Sku | 36336 |
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Given its consistently outstanding quality, it’s easy to forget that the average age of Porseleinberg's 14 hectares of vineyards is only seven years' old. Showing what Callie Louw calls a "little more crunch" in 2021, this is a Syrah with time on its side. Wild herb aromas of sage, oregano and rosemary introduce you to a palate that's dense yet refined, with lots of whole bunch spice and structure, negligible oak influence, detailed, layered tannins, some underlying grip and layers of dark berry fruit. One of the world's great reds from a very special site.
-- Tim Atkin: 99 Points
James Suckling: 97 Points
What an intense nose of charcuterie, grilled herbs, iron, black berry fruit and cracked pepper. Flavor explosion on the palate, too, with a full body, yet so much freshness with an underlying iron and peppercorn character. Firm, yet fine tannins. Even better from 2025.
Vinous: 97 Points
The 2021 Porseleinberg is whole bunch fermented and aged for 12 months in foudres. I gave my glass plenty of aeration. Chatting with winemaker Callie Louw, this wine can be closed, this being the first time I had tasted it at the remote Swartland estate. It has a compelling bouquet with fabulous delineation, a mélange of, say, one-third red and two-thirds black fruit, hints of iron filings and reflecting its soils, slate-like scents. Obstinately backward, after 10 minutes, it positively blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with filigree tannins framing the mineral-rich black fruit. Plenty of extract is interwoven, but perhaps unlike the vintages of old, Louw's winemaking sense means that it's not immediately tangible. A discrete build in the mouth reveals hidden layers as it sashays towards its crunchy finish and then delivers a dash of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Outstanding…but what else do we expect?
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
Ripe yet still firm, the 2021 Syrah is fresh and savory with a delightfully floral element that sways with spicy and dark red-fruited essences. Medium-bodied, the palate is balanced, fresh and firmly structured with gripping tannins and an elegant mineral tension. The wine ends with a ripe and spicy finish. 47,000 bottles were produced after resting 12 months in foudre before bottle aging for 16 months. Between the 2020 and the 2021, the 2021 is the one you want. Just give it another year in bottle, and enjoy through the middle of the next decade.
