Description
Vintage:
The 2024/2025 season had a cold wet winter, a cool spring rain and sufficient soil moisture levels. This indicated we would have a late start to harvest season. We experienced less stress and no disease pressure in our vineyards. We had two hot days over December but the vineyards were resilient and showed no signs of heat stress. A warm ripening period ensued with greater diurnal shifts resulting in a classic vintage that shows great promise of exceptional quality and ageability.
Vinification:
The Syrah was hand harvested and batch picked with seven passes through the vineyard. The grapes were transferred into open top fermenters where 22% were whole bunch fermented with indigenous yeast, allowing for a natural fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was left on the skins for one to two weeks and then pressed. The wines were matured for 9 months in seasoned 500-litre French oak barrels (60%) and concrete tanks (40%) where it underwent malolactic conversion. The wine was then blended and bottled for release.
Tasting Notes
Tim Atkin 92
Proving that Hazendal has great potential for Syrah , as Kiara Scott puts it, this is a lightly wooded, medium-bodied style that was fermented with 22% whole clusters. Wonderful value, it has red berry, black cherry and tapenade flavours, layered tannins and a savoury finish. 2026-31 [Tim Atkin MW, 01/09/2026]
Greg Sherwood 94
The Bottelary Hills is prime red wine territory, and with this maiden release Syrah, Kiara has utilised 22% whole-bunches in the fermentation before being aged for 9 months in 60% older 500-litre French oak barrels together with a 40% concrete tank portion. Bold, wild and exotically perfumed, the aromatics reveal attractive notes of violets, potpourri, rose petals and black pepper before more subtle hints of salty black liquorice, black cherries and black kalamata olive tapenade. In the mouth, the palate is cool, plush and polished with a medium body, silky fine grained tannins and a tangy fresh vivacity that makes the mouth water. The texture is sleek and elegant, showing Kiara s signature weightless concentration, before finishing gently with a drying mineral persistence. A really majestic Syrah that simply does not put a foot out of place and of course it is also crazy value for money! Drink now and over the next decade. (10,828 bottles produced.) [Greg Sherwood MW, 06/07/2026]
JancisRobinson.com 16
Jammy plums and vanilla-pod spices. A genial Syrah with easy-peasy tannins. [Tamlyn Currin, 25/03/2026]
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2029
