2022 Porseleinberg

A FIRST - EXPECTED AUGUST 2025

Within the world of extremely exclusive Syrah, Porseleinberg is a rising star. The ratings for the 2018 vintage (100 points Tim Atkin, 95 points Robert Parker) heralded a new chapter for winemaker Callie Louw and his only wine last year. The Porseleinberg hill is located in Swartland, southeast of Riebeek-Kasteel. The soil of the hill consists of blue schist and due to the absence of a top layer, the vines stand directly on the mother rock. It is an extreme terroir far from civilization, which suits the winemaker and his story.

Callie Louw is a classic vigneron: he lives on his land between the grapes, from which he makes wine. What is special is that he only makes 1 wine, he will not get distracted. His terroir philosophy is similar to that of the 'non-interventionists': His wines are an expression of time and place, the vinification is (almost) the same every year, so that the character of the vintage is expressed to the maximum. Whole bunches of the oldest vines are picked at optimum ripeness, then trampled underfoot and fermented by means of 'submerged cap fermentation' (where the skins are constantly immersed). Callie uses pump-overs minimally, but leaves the wine as much as possible in 2500 liter foudre and a few Nomblot eggs.

The resulting wine is often compared in structure and character to the finest counterparts from the Northern Rhône. Due to the increased knowledge of his terroir, Callie succeeds in leaving the power and structure of earlier behind and finding the balance in elegance and refinement. The 2022 scores very high with the international press, for example with Tim Atkin with 99pt. the 'Red Wine of the Year' and Callie Louw has become 'Winemaker of the Year'. But also at Platter it gets 5 stars!.