Galatrona, Val d’Arno di Sopra, Petrolo, Tuscany, Italy 2022 vs Wandering Beeste Syrah 2017

Wandering Beeste Syrah 2017

Wandering Beeste Syrah is skinny, structured stuff with breadth, texture and a charming rustic gait. Mineral, fine and uplifting this vintage is another bony Beeste. Made up of 50% whole berry and 50% whole bunch, once again it is the bright acidity and fine tannins in the stems that lift the ripe Syrah fruit to a freshness and vitality seldom found in Swartland. The mean, salty rough soils give further minerality to the palate which produces a long, broad and bright finish - a delightful Syrah! The grapes for this wine are selected from vineyards from the slopes of the Kasteelberg and Paardeberg mountains, each adding its own intonation of blue and red fruit. Vines are approx. 15-25 years old and express the shale and granite rock on which they grow. The grapes are picked in the early hours and trucked to the winery where further selection is made. 50% of the fruit is fermented whole bunch and 50% whole berry. The wine goes through wild yeast fermentation over a 6 month period in old French oak barrels. It is then racked off and settled, mostly into tank, for a further 4 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Food Pairing: It deserves a wonderfully premium juicy rare steak! 2016 Vintage Awards: Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards 2017 Bronze - IWC 2017 Silver - Sommelier Wine Awards 2017