2021 Savage, Red, Western Cape, South Africa
Critics reviews
The 2021 Red Blend includes 70% whole clusters, matured for 13 months in 500-liter barrels and then a year in foudres. The splendid bouquet displays brambly red plummy fruit, crushed stone, bay leaf, and Japanese green tea in the background. The medium-bodied palate has a touch of menthol on the entry and fine depth. It’s fresh with a slightly powdery texture and a saline, focused, surprisingly strict finish. Excellent.
I dropped in to see winemaker Duncan Savage at his Cape Town winery, where he proudly showed me the top floor above the winery that he recently managed to acquire, freeing up a lot more space. “It was quite warm as a vintage,” he tells me. “The 2022s were picked at similar levels to normal, but there was more selection and sorting. We picked 11 tons between 40 people, and 12 people had to carefully sort because of bird damage. The acids are slightly lower than normal. We meddle only where we need to meddle. Chenin Blanc can get rich and flabby, and we have to manage that. So, barrels are stored at around 10° Celsius rather than 16° Celsius in order to keep the whites as tight as possible.”
This was a brilliant set of distinctive wines from Savage, crowned by a stunning Touriga Naçional/Syrah blend under the “Are We There Yet?” moniker. The Savage Red, which utilises 40% whole clusters, is one of the best released yet, and I feel it's superior to the white counterpart this year.
Drink 2025 - 2042
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (November 2023)
100% Syrah. 13 months in 500-litre barrels.
Glowing crimson. Polished, refined tannins. Sleek and dry with less obvious fruit than the Girl Next Door. Needs food. But long and very fresh.
Drink 2024 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (October 2023)
Just over 13,000 bottles were produced from 70% whole-cluster Syrah.
The 2021 Proprietary Red displays a hint of flint with a kiss of reduction and spicy red fruit essences on the nose. Medium-bodied with 13.8% alcohol, the palate shows impressive depth and freshness with savory and meaty notes before delightful mineral notions of granite and floral potpourri expressions wade across the mid-palate. Currently a little nervous, give it another year in the bottle, and it should govern until its 20th birthday, perhaps even longer.
Drink 2024 - 2041
Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate (December 2023)
This is showing aromas of wild raspberries, moss, pu-erh tea, black peppercorns and crushed rocks. Deep and seamless, with a medium to full body and beautifully polished tannins resulting in a velvety texture rolling into one with the perfectly ripe black fruit.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (December 2023)
About this WINE
Savage
After 11 years producing Platter five-star wines at Cape Point Vineyards, Duncan Savage finally realised his dream of producing his own red and white wine before the age of 35 with his maiden (2011 red, 2012 white) vintage. The wines received high critical acclaim (four and a half stars each from Platter) with Duncan once again in the spotlight as one of the most exciting young talents in South African winemaking. The wines are made with the blessing of Cape Point where he still works as winemaker and viticulturalist.
Duncan’s aim is to produce elegant wines which reflect their terroir and he does this by using fruit from old vines with whole bunch fermentation, minimal intervention and use of old wood, and also amphorae for the Savage Red. Duncan says that the key is to “do as little as possible, as much as you can.” These are exciting new wines to watch on the South African scene, both of them capable of long ageing. Again, availability is limited.
Western Cape
The Western Cape wine region in South Africa is one of the country's most prominent and renowned wine-producing areas. It encompasses a variety of distinct wine regions, each with its terroir, grape varietals, and winemaking traditions. Some well-known wine regions within the Western Cape include Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Constantia, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, and Swartland.
Stellenbosch, often called the heart of South African wine, is renowned for its historic vineyards, picturesque landscapes, and award-winning wines. It produces a wide range of grape varietals, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, and Syrah particularly notable.
Franschhoek, known as the "French Corner" due to its Huguenot heritage, offers a scenic setting surrounded by mountains. This region is recognised for its world-class sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Semillon.
Paarl is known for its diverse terroir, producing rich, full-bodied red wines such as Shiraz and Pinotage. It is also home to historic estates and has a warm Mediterranean climate.
Constantia, located near Cape Town, is one of the oldest wine regions in South Africa. It is famous for its elegant and sought-after white wines, particularly the sweet dessert wine called Vin de Constance.
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, situated close to the coastal town of Hermanus, is known for its cool climate and specialises in producing exceptional cool-climate varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Swartland, located north of Cape Town, has gained recognition for its innovative winemaking and for producing unique and expressive wines from traditional and alternative grape varieties.
The Western Cape wine region benefits from diverse soils, varied microclimates, and proximity to the ocean, creating favourable conditions for grape cultivation. South African winemakers in the Western Cape often combine traditional winemaking practices with modern techniques, resulting in wines that reflect the region's distinct characteristics and balance New and Old World influences.
Syrah/Shiraz
A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries.
It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness.
South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.
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Description
Just over 13,000 bottles were produced from 70% whole-cluster Syrah.
The 2021 Proprietary Red displays a hint of flint with a kiss of reduction and spicy red fruit essences on the nose. Medium-bodied with 13.8% alcohol, the palate shows impressive depth and freshness with savory and meaty notes before delightful mineral notions of granite and floral potpourri expressions wade across the mid-palate. Currently a little nervous, give it another year in the bottle, and it should govern until its 20th birthday, perhaps even longer.
Drink 2024 - 2041
Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate (December 2023)
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