Cape Landing Blackwood Syrah 2020

Equal quantities of whole-bunch and de-stemmed fruit, cold fermentation and 10 months maturation in French Oak Puncheons on fine lees with fortnightly bâttonage, all contribute to the production of this classic, elegant Syrah with great ageing potential.

"A juicy and vibrant wine with bright and lifted cool climate Syrah flavours. Plums, dark blue fruits, violets, subtle spice and rose flavours combine with elegance. The palate is really smart and fine-seamless and with great finesse and length. A beautiful wine for drinking or ageing." – Judging Panel, Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.

Gabrielle Poy for ‘The Real Review’ noted – A bold nose of charred meats, vanilla and heady roses makes way for a suave and complex palate. This holds a savoury line thanks to some high-class oak playing support. Its warming core and fine tannins flow across the palate. This is a classy wine that has been very well made (1 January 2022). Cellaring to 2030.

Cape Landing – 2020 Blackwood Syrah Art 1.pdf

• RegionMargaret River, Western Australia
• Vintage2020
• TypeRed Wine
• VarietySyrah
• Variety Composition

  Single Vineyard 100% Surah

• Volume750ml
• Alcohol Volume13.4%
• PH

  3.51g/L

• Acidity

  5.58g/L

• Sugar

  0.43

• Maturation

  French Oak Puncheons for 10 months (30% of which were new).Throughout the maturation process the wine was aged on fine lees with fortnightly bâttonage.

• ClosureScrewCap
• Bottling Date

  12 February 2021

• Harvest Date

  14 March 2020

• Vintage Notes

  The 2020 vintage in Margaret River produced considerably lower than average fruit yields, particularly with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc where fruit development has affected by adverse weather conditions during November. The fruit produced, although limited in quantity, was of exquisite quality and 2020 could well end up being and outstanding vintage. Spring fruit development was early followed by fine sunny, dry conditions throughout the summer months. This, combined with lower yields, brought an early start to harvest, with Chardonnay picked approximately 2 weeks ahead of average. Conditions were ideal early on with no disease and minimal bird pressure due to timely onset of Marri Blossom. Bird pressure increased following rainfall in late February. Conditions cooled slightly in the later summer months, extending the red vintage, but delivering ideal tannin ripening and fruit flavour preservation.

• Winemaking

  Syrah fruit was picked in the early hours of morning. 50% of the fruit was hand-picked and kept as whole bunches, with the remaining fruit de-stemmed as whole berries on top of the whole-bunch clusters. Fermentation was kept cool and slow, allowing the whole fruit bunches to introduce a wild and exotic array of spices and brooding aromatics, and ultra-fine tendrils of tannin. Fermenting fruit was hand-plunged 2-3 times a day for 12 days, allowing gentle breakdown of the whole-bunch clusters. The resulting wine was gravity drained, and the skins gently pressed, before transfer to French Oak Puncheons (30% of which were new) for 10 months. Throughout the maturation process the wine was aged on fine lees with fortnightly bâttonage and then blended, lightly fined and filtered before bottling.

• Tasting Notes

  "A juicy and vibrant wine with bright and lifted cool climate Syrah flavours. Plums, dark blue fruits, violets, subtle spice and rose flavours combine with elegance. The palate is really smart and fine-seamless and with great finesse and length. A beautiful wine for drinking or ageing." – Tasting Panel at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.

  Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review) A bold nose of charred meats, vanilla and heady roses makes way for a suave and complex palate. This holds a savoury line thanks to some high-class oak playing support. Its warming core and fine tannins flow across the palate. This is a classy wine that has been very well made. (01 JAN 2022)

• Colour

  Bright red with purple streaks.

• Bouquet

  White pepper, raspberries, plum blossoms and cracked allspice.

• Palate

  On the palate, bright natural acidity and bristling tannins deliver vibrant flavours of bramble fruits and wild spices, with an opulent finish of blackberries, cedar and freshly ground coffee.