This vineyard is planted into the Bokkeveld shale soils of the Witzenberg mountain range, atop the Ceres Plateau. Situated in one of South Africa most elevated growing regions, this vineyard has an altitude of over 1000m.
Wine of Origin Ceres Plateau
| Winemaker: | Jean Smit |
| Cultivar: | 100% Syrah |
| Origin: | Ceres Plateau |
Tasting notes:
Bright, lifted, and articulate, the 2024 Ceres Plateau Syrah is the most vibrant and light-stepping of the collection.
The nose reveals blood orange pith, white pepper, and a precise lift of lavender. On the palate, sour cherry, raspberry sherbet, and blood orange meet sweeter blackberry and a clear river-stone texture. High-toned acidity and finer tannins give the wine an elegantly tailored profile – dynamic, extroverted, and finely drawn.
Notes on the 2024 Vintage:
The Ceres Plateau experienced a cold, wet winter and moderate flowering conditions, followed by a season of warm nights and cooler-than-average daytime temperatures from December onward. This combination allowed for slow, even ripening and a superb balance of natural acidity. The fruit was hand-picked between 29 February and 11 March. It showed great clarity and vibrancy – marking this as a standout vintage for the Ceres Plateau Syrah.
Vineyards:
This vineyard is planted into the Bokkeveld shale soils of the Witzenberg mountain range, atop the Ceres Plateau. Situated in one of South Africa’s most elevated growing regions, the site sits at over 1000m above sea level and presents all the textbook extremes of high-altitude viticulture. In winter, the vineyard is often blanketed in snow, while a dramatic diurnal shift slows ripening. It is invariably the final Syrah block we harvest each year.
Winemaking:
The fruit was harvested by hand between 29 February and 11 March. Syrah from the Ceres Plateau carries immense natural intensity, so the winemaking calls for a gentler hand. Higher natural tannins meant only 60% of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, with the balance destemmed and fermented as whole berries. Fermentation took place in tulip-shaped concrete fermenters using a submerged-cap technique, helping to soften the wine’s structure while preserving its clarity. Both primary and malolactic fermentations occurred spontaneously. The wine was then matured in 2000L Austrian foudre for 11 months, and bottled without fining to preserve a more complex and authentic expression of Syrah.
Maturation:
This wine will continue to mature and improve for at least a decade.
Technical:
Total production: 3639 x 750ml and 106 x 1500ml
Bottling date: 15 January 2025
Alc: 12.86 % Vol
pH: 3.46
TA: 5.7 g/L
RS: 1.8 g/L