Ridgelands Syrah 2011
“Rare cool-climate single-plot Syrah, remarkable texture and finesse, still youthful after 6 years.”
“Ridgeland’s” is the name of the farm that acts as home to the Elgin Vintners partnership. The original focus of the farm was apples and pears, but vineyards were planted in 2002 and the partnership began in 2005.
The Ridgeland’s label is all about sentimentality and a desire to craft wines that are distinct, unique and elegant. Only special pockets identified as the best of the single plot vineyard are used as they are focused on vineyard expressive driven wines. The fruit that is selected is of pure superiority being French clone SH22 which allows the wine to express more fruity characteristics and a clone from Argentina called the SH 9 which provides beautiful body and backbone to the wine.
Cool-climate Syrah’s are a rare thing, and drink very differently to warmer climate Syrah’s which are bigger and bolder. The vineyard site along the banks of the Palmiet River allows for perfect Syrah fruit, without a rush to harvest due to spiking sugar levels thus always delivering on elegance and finesse.
The wine is aged in a careful collection of barrels coopered especially for the project, and are a mix of American, French and Hungarian.