O Produtor, tasting note published in August 22nd 2023
An intense, fresh nose shows a dark compote, with aromas of ripe plums,blackberry, violets, musky earth and exotic spice. The black fruit of the nosefollows through with blueberries, juicy plums, fresh cherry and bramble flavours,and hints of leather, cloves, liquorice and potting soil – a balanced, brooding winewith integrated acidity, prominent sweet spice and smoky, savoury nuances. Thesmooth, velvety tannins add great balance to the mid-palate. The wine has amedium body and a plummy finish, with supple tannins, hints of dark chocolate,and sweet spice lingering on an ashy, iodine finish.
The Porcupine Ridge brand has its origins in the natural environment of thefarm and the ongoing efforts to conserve the biodiversity on the property andthe surrounding mountains. In addition to a number of rare fauna and floraspecies – such as the erica lerouxiae which is endemic to Boekenhoutskloof –the farm is home to a several Crested Porcupine families, which are howeverrarely seen due to their nocturnal lifestyle.“These wines are honest, true to type, and true to cultivar. Our winemakingphilosophy has always been to follow a natural approach of no acidificationand no additions. The resulting wines are much more about a generous palateweight than simple primary aromatics followed by acidity.”~ Marc Kent
VINIFICATION & WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
The 2022 harvest was of exceptional quality. The overall growing season wascool with good weather conditions for most of the growing season. January andFebruary saw a sudden temperature spike which contributed to a smaller cropand highly concentrated, good quality fruit.The Swartland being renowned for producing Syrah, we believe we can taste theunique climate and sunny shale soils in our wines made from this cultivar. Thecharacteristic perfumey profile is classic, and the abundant violets are ahallmark of Swartland Syrah. We aim for structure and texture with pronouncedaromatics, and textbook analysis enabled us to produce a wine with greatvarietal expression. Gentle winemaking practices with minimum interventioncontribute to this beautifully approachable Rhône-style wine. We only useFrench oak barriques and always choose to focus on fruit rather thanoak-derived flavours.
Allergens information
Contains sulphites.
SKU: 106954
Boekenhoutskloof
A BRIEF HISTORY
Boekenhoutskloof was founded in 1776. Situated in the far corner of the beautiful Franschhoek valley, the farm’s name means ‘Boekenhout’s ravine’ (pronounced Book-n-Howed). Boekenhout is an indigenous Cape beech tree much favoured for furniture making. In 1993, the farm and estate were purchased and restored and a new vineyard planting programme was established which now includes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Sémillon and Viognier.
WINES
As a producer, Boekenhoutskloof is a Syrah specialist, with its premium Boekenhoutskloof range selling out on the release of each vintage, and The Chocolate Block – a Syrah-based blend – is probably the most successful new wine offering to come out of South Africa in the modern era.
The Wolftrap brand of Rhone-style blended wines was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the early settlers who built what is now a monument to their adventurous spirit. The Porcupine Ridge range of delicious, everyday wines is a favourite on tables around the world – offering great value for money and superb drinking.
