Description
Mont Rochelle Syrah 2023 is a Franschhoek red that leans into freshness, perfume, and a more lifted expression of the variety. Rather than pushing sheer weight, it brings together red fruit, spice, and floral character in a style that feels youthful, polished, and well judged. For drinkers who enjoy Syrah with brightness and poise rather than heaviness, this is a very appealing Cape example.
The nose opens with violets, intense red fruit, and white pepper, giving the wine an aromatic profile that feels both lively and classic to the grape. On the palate, juicy red fruit and spice carry through clearly, but the wine stays fresh and elegant, supported by well-rounded tannins that give it shape without hardening the finish. It would pair especially well with roast lamb, duck, grilled sausages, or mushroom dishes, where its fruit, pepper, and freshness can work naturally at the table.
Already highly enjoyable in youth, this is a Syrah that offers immediate drinking pleasure while still showing enough balance to settle further over the near term.
The nose opens with violets, intense red fruit, and white pepper, giving the wine an aromatic profile that feels both lively and classic to the grape. On the palate, juicy red fruit and spice carry through clearly, but the wine stays fresh and elegant, supported by well-rounded tannins that give it shape without hardening the finish. It would pair especially well with roast lamb, duck, grilled sausages, or mushroom dishes, where its fruit, pepper, and freshness can work naturally at the table.
Already highly enjoyable in youth, this is a Syrah that offers immediate drinking pleasure while still showing enough balance to settle further over the near term.
In the cellar
The Shiraz vineyards at Mont Rochelle are planted between 200 and 450 meters above sea level on steep slopes, giving the fruit a wide range of exposures and flavor expression. This variation in altitude and aspect contributes to the wine’s layered fruit character, spice, and overall complexity, helping shape a Syrah that is both vibrant and nuanced.
Winemaker: Dustin Osborne
Winemaker: Dustin Osborne
About the Winery
Sir Richard Branson’s love for the African continent and the finer things in life lured him to the Western Cape Province and Mont Rochelle. His stunning 26-bedroom hotel and vineyard are just under an hour’s drive from Cape Town in the town of Franschhoek in South Africa.
There, in the food and wine capital, guests can unwind and make themselves at home while dining on healthy and locally sourced cuisine, tasting superb Shiraz and Chardonnay in the 150-year-old cellar, and exploring the rolling vineyards and well-tended grounds in one of the world’s most bucolic settings.
There, in the food and wine capital, guests can unwind and make themselves at home while dining on healthy and locally sourced cuisine, tasting superb Shiraz and Chardonnay in the 150-year-old cellar, and exploring the rolling vineyards and well-tended grounds in one of the world’s most bucolic settings.
