Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Establishing Its Red Wine Reputation Vintage by Vintage – Tasting Dawn of the Salty Tongues Syrah 2023…
Sakkie Mouton is now a universally respected young winemaker crafting some incredibly unique terroir driven white wines made from grapes mostly sourced from several barren wind-swept vineyards up the Cape West Coast around Koekenaap and Vredendal. But it was only with his maiden release Dawn of the Salty Tongues Syrah 2022 that he started on his own wine brand’s red wine journey. The name and label references not only the rise of the Weskus as a new respected viticultural area of interest but is also a play on words describing the more “salty language” that some of the West Coast locals are known to use.
With Sakkie’s new Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2024 and his new, third release, Dawn of the Salty Tongues 2024 Syrah about to hit the UK market, I thought it would be a perfect time to revisit his second Syrah release from the 2023 vintage. Once again, this second release is made from 100% Syrah grapes sourced from vines located 25 kilometres from the cold Atlantic Ocean in Vredendal. Sakkie says the 2023 vintage was “a spectacular one on the West Coast, with warm and sunny days and nice cold evenings to help slow the ripening process.” Grapes were picked early in the morning to preserve freshness before being chilled down and destemmed with 30% of whole bunches used in open top fermenters. Fermentation lasted around 2 weeks with pump overs three times per day, with the temperatures kept at a constant 27 degrees C. After completion of fermentation, the wine was aged for 11 months in 500 litre barrels.
Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Syrah 2023, WO Olifants River, 13.45% Abv.
2.8 g/l RS | 6.0 g/l TA | 3.47pH
This 100% Syrah shows a deliciously spicy, sappy aromatics with layers of dried herbs, wet leaves, pithy red cherry, spicy dried tobacco leaf, raspberries and a graphite-laden mineral spice. The palate is incredibly sleek and taut but utterly charming, fresh and tangy with a melange of red and black bramble berries, raspberry and sour red plum on the finish. Beautiful whole bunch sapidity, exotically seductive spices with soft polished mineral tannins and a long, tangy finish make this a very drinkable wine with delicacy but also subtle intensity. Another classically leaning Syrah beauty. Drink now to 2035+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)