97 points Tim Atkin, MW
“[13.1%] Syrah is in my blood,” says Jean Smit, and it shows. This is one of a trio of brilliant examples of the variety, combining grapes from the Polkadraai Hills with 20% from Bottelary. Bloody, intense, brooding and almost indecently aromatic, it’s a tribute to the great reds of the northern Rhne, with plenty of granitic grip, tapenade, liquorice and blackberry flavours and the structure and focus to age beautifully in bottle. 2027-2040. (2024)”

95 Vinous
The 2022 Syrah from Karabib is 75% whole clusters matured for 11 months in 2,000-liter Austrian oak. This elegant nose of incense and pressed violets infuses the vivacious melange of black and blue fruit. The medium-bodied palate has fine structure, slightly chalky in texture, with real backbone and density, yet the elegance floods through on the black pepper and clove-infused finish. Very persistent in the mouth. Tuck bottles away for several years as this is a serious Syrah sculpted by its cooler microclimate. – By Neal Martin on August 2023

Our Tasting Note: Medium+ purple-ruby, ruby edges. A medium+ nose, with fresh cherry, blueberry and blackberry, a twist of blood orange mixes into the berry fruit nicely. Less purple florals here, a note of iron, with more spices like star anise, white pepper and clove. Medium bodied, med/med+ tannins, mouthwatering med+ acidity, a med+ and persistent palate, this too should deepen with age. Another excellent Syrah expression.

Vineyards: Two vineyards contribute to the making of this wine. The higher of the two blocks was planted in 1996 on a southeast-facing granitic slope at Karibib, in the Polkadraai Hills. Its situated at 290m ASL; 13km from False Bay. Our second granitic block is a northwest-facing block in the Bottelary Hills, planted at 275m ASL.

Winemaking: The fruit for this wine was harvested by hand between 2nd and 13th March, 2023, at a ripeness of between 23.4 and 24B. The fruit was chilled down to 8C overnight prior to fermentation. To showcase the impact of site in the formation of a Stellenbosch Syrah, the harvested fruit was separated into numerous smaller fermentation batches, with a whole cluster fraction of 75 percent per vessel. Fermentation took place in tulip-shaped concrete fermenters, which received pump-overs twice daily. Primary fermentation and malolactic conversion both took place spontaneously. The wine was then matured in 2000-litre conical Austrian oak vats for 11 months. The wine was bottled without fining to ensure a more complex and authentic expression of Syrah.