Purple red, very good clarity, medium pigment extraction. Cherry, raspberry aromas with some barrel wood. On initial pour, cola, black pepper and sour plum. Soft mouthfeel but slightly bitter finish. Needs time to open. After two hours, flavors resolve into tart plum and some cola with slight pomegranate finish, mild skin astringency, good balance, almost no bitterness. A different take from previous vintages but solid rendition of the variety. — 5 months ago
Over my birthday at the beginning of July I had Covid, by far the worst consequence of which was losing my senses of smell and taste. I’ve heard some horror stories from people in the wine trade experiencing this and not fully recovering, which for the past two years has terrified me (I had avoided Covid until now). I’ve had Chablis and Bordeaux (in a restaurant) in the past week, both of which didn’t smell of much and had oddly metallic tastes. Other things I love - such as coffee - have started to taste and smell better in the past week, so I was anxious whether my enjoyment of wine might have been restored. I also felt that only at home, in a controlled and familiar environment, would I be able to fully attest one way or the other.
I’d been wanting to try Duncan Savage’s flagship red since buying a case of the 2018 over a year ago, a 100% Stellenbosch Syrah from one of the Cape’s most exciting winemakers that received glowing reviews from prominent South Africa critics Tim Atkin and Greg Sherwood. A quick note: no, after more than a fortnight, my sense of smell is still pretty poor, but this wine was v enjoyable nevertheless!
From the nose, I was still able to appreciate subtle aromas of fresh blueberry, lavender, bacon fat, ground pepper and warm earth; really textbook Syrah, an utterly intoxicating smell that whets one’s appetite for grilled meat.
The palate is complex, with saturated cranberry & blueberry, dense with high acidity at this youthful stage, and plucky but very fine tannins, and a lasting finish.
What this wine must really taste like, when one’s senses are firing at 100%, I can only imagine! Really, really impressive stuff. I’m delighted I have a case and can’t wait to try it again - maybe in a few weeks’ time 😅🤞 94+ — 2 years ago
Ruby red with a tinge of purple hue. Vegetal note with cedar box in nose, cherry pit, raspberry flavors with a hint of cranberry, notes of white pepper, herbs and spice. Length in the fruit and spice flavors but not in your face; assertive but not bold, autumn like in the flavor profile. Good but light level of acid, soft but with a tannic bite in aftertaste on top of palate and side of cheeks. Ripe black plum in the aftertaste. A lot going on here in terms of the senses. A fun wine to sip and reflect upon. Glad I’ve got another bottle tucked away for another day. After 24 hours, fruit and spice had receded somewhat, but spearmint abounded in the nose and mouth. — a month ago
Dark red, inky, high pigment extraction. Menthol and dark fruit aromas. Boysenberry and white pepper flavors, as advertised on the label. Slightly tart, almost lactic finish with some hint of spice. Relatively light on tannins which is in line with the Côt style of Malbecs-drinkability with a lighter and not robust touch. Yummy. After two hours, moderate skin astringency emerges, which explains all that pigment extraction. — 8 months ago
High acid and pear, a little spicy (cilantro?) and slightly effervescent — 2 years ago
Great wine in great company @ Gymkhana London — 7 months ago
Savage! Lots of fruit even on day 3. Sheesh — a year ago
Neal Ferry
Extremely Nice — 6 days ago