2022 Minimalist Wines, Stars in the Dark, Syrah, Western Cape, South Africa
Critics reviews
12 months in 228L and 300L Neutral French Oak.
The 2022 Stars in the Dark comes from Cape Agulhas, stomped underfoot with one-third whole bunches, aged in 3rd and 4th fill French oak. The red fruit on the nose seems to "hug" the olfactory senses, very pure and beautifully delineated, an underlying mineralité gaining momentum with aeration. The medium-bodied palate has fine-grained tannins, extremely well-balanced with a precise, edgy finish, black pepper and black tea lingering temptingly. This continues Lambson's strong run of form and comes highly recommended.
Drink 2025 - 2042
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (November 2023)
The Syrah comes from a vineyard with a pretty extreme climate ('in the South African context', winemaker Lambson says). The groundwater is saline and brackish and the vineyard is just five kilometres from sea.
This has the smell of a wind blowing over rocks and dried herbs. I see exactly exactly what Lambson means by salt and pepper (and white pepper). It tastes of black cardamom and roses. This has such a beautiful moment-before-the-storm feel; an inner tension; a breathlessness; a sense of waiting. The tannins are long and have a flute-like mellifluousness, almost a sense of keening. Garrigue/fynbos perfume on the finish.
Drink 2023 - 2030
Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (October 2023)
About this WINE
Minimalist Wines
At the heart of Minimalist Wines lies Sam Lambson, a young visionary with a passion for quality and minimal intervention. Despite his tender age, launching the brand at just 21 years old, Sam’s experience shines through. Having worked alongside esteemed winemakers like Carl van der Merwe, Lukas van Loggerenberg, and Chris Alheit, he brings a fresh perspective to winemaking, with a philosophy centring on allowing the grapes to express their true character, resulting in wines that whisper tales of terroir and authenticity.
Minimalist Wines carefully tends to vineyard parcels across three distinct regions:
Cape Agulhas: known for its unique terroir, this region contributes to the authentic expression of Minimalist Wines. Here, the vines sway to the rhythm of ocean breezes, infusing their grapes with coastal magic.
Elgin: a cool-climate gem, Elgin imparts freshness and elegance to their Syrah. Mist-kissed slopes yield grapes of exceptional quality.
Stellenbosch: renowned for its rich history, this region adds depth and complexity to the wines. Sun-kissed vineyards weave their magic into each varietal, creating wines that resonate with tradition and innovation.
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
12 months in 228L and 300L Neutral French Oak.
The 2022 Stars in the Dark comes from Cape Agulhas, stomped underfoot with one-third whole bunches, aged in 3rd and 4th fill French oak. The red fruit on the nose seems to "hug" the olfactory senses, very pure and beautifully delineated, an underlying mineralité gaining momentum with aeration. The medium-bodied palate has fine-grained tannins, extremely well-balanced with a precise, edgy finish, black pepper and black tea lingering temptingly. This continues Lambson's strong run of form and comes highly recommended.
Drink 2025 - 2042
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (November 2023)
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