2019 Gabrielskloof "Syrah on Shale", Bot River, South Africa
ABOUT THIS WINE
The 2019 Gabriëlskloof “Syrah on Shale” is a flagship wine from the Overberg region’s Bot River Ward, crafted by Gabriëlskloof, a sustainably-minded estate founded in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns. Grapes are hand‑picked, 40–60 % whole‑bunch fermented with native yeasts in open‑top fermenters, followed by 18 months in 500 L neutral French oak barrels (10 % new). Production is tiny—around 3,300 bottles. The “Syrah on Shale” is part of the Landscape Series, each named for the geology that shapes them; the label designs, created by Niël Jonker, mirror this sense of place.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
After planting and championing Syrah and Cabernet Franc, the estate transitioned to lead winemaking under Peter‑Allan Finlayson—son‑in‑law of Crystallum’s founder—now serving as Cellar Master alongside young winemaker Anmar van Niekerk. The vineyard is planted on a single south‑easterly‑facing Bokkeveld shale block, where wind and clay-rich soils stress the vines and create deeply concentrated fruit. Gabriëlskloof, situated in Walker Bay’s cool maritime climate, emphasizes terroir expression through sustainable, low‑intervention farming, hand‑harvested fruit, wild fermentations, minimal new oak, and biodiversity in the vineyards.
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Description
ABOUT THIS WINE
The 2019 Gabriëlskloof “Syrah on Shale” is a flagship wine from the Overberg region’s Bot River Ward, crafted by Gabriëlskloof, a sustainably-minded estate founded in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns. Grapes are hand‑picked, 40–60 % whole‑bunch fermented with native yeasts in open‑top fermenters, followed by 18 months in 500 L neutral French oak barrels (10 % new). Production is tiny—around 3,300 bottles. The “Syrah on Shale” is part of the Landscape Series, each named for the geology that shapes them; the label designs, created by Niël Jonker, mirror this sense of place.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
After planting and championing Syrah and Cabernet Franc, the estate transitioned to lead winemaking under Peter‑Allan Finlayson—son‑in‑law of Crystallum’s founder—now serving as Cellar Master alongside young winemaker Anmar van Niekerk. The vineyard is planted on a single south‑easterly‑facing Bokkeveld shale block, where wind and clay-rich soils stress the vines and create deeply concentrated fruit. Gabriëlskloof, situated in Walker Bay’s cool maritime climate, emphasizes terroir expression through sustainable, low‑intervention farming, hand‑harvested fruit, wild fermentations, minimal new oak, and biodiversity in the vineyards.
