Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards, The D.W. Syrah, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2016

Uva Mira benefits from the location of its mountain vineyards, which are 620 metres above sea level at their highest point, as the climate falls into category two on the Winkler Scale. In layman’s terms this means it has a lot more in common with vineyards in France than their South African neighbours. This, alongside the decomposed granite soils, allows them to produce wines which are the finest expression of terroir we’ve seen from anywhere in the New World.

The D.W. Syrah, of which only a tiny amount of 600 bottles was produced, is without a doubt the most beguiling Syrah I’ve tasted from anywhere in the world, let alone the New World. There are layers upon layers of complexity on the nose, with aromas of freshly picked violets and rose petals, smoky fynbos and crushed white peppercorns. This is a wine of understated power with the potential to age for decades and we can’t wait to see how the flavours of dark plums and mulberries, graphite and tobacco leaf develop over the years… provided it lasts that long, of course, as the winery have sold out!