{"title":"Syrah\/Shiraz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSyrah and Shiraz are the same grape, but the name is a style choice, not a place of origin. Our collection pairs Syrah from the iconic Rhône Valley with Syrah from the ambitious vineyards of South Africa: same grape, two very different signatures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"domaine-lionnet-cornas-terre-brulee-2021-magnum","title":"Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brûlée 2021 Magnum","description":"Domaine Lionnet 2021 Cornas Terre Brulée 2021 Magnum, \"Youthful purple. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, star anise, olive, violet and tobacco. A smoky mineral accent builds steadily in the glass and energizes the spice-laced, dark berry liqueur, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Clings with strong tenacity on the youthfully tannic finish, leaving behind sappy blue fruit, cracked pepper and mineral notes. \" - Josh Raynolds","brand":"Domaine Lionnet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49565417210162,"sku":"LIO002MX2021","price":1795.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_827365d9-0c8e-4c51-9c4d-3b984255d405.jpg?v=1732724489"},{"product_id":"saint-cosme-cote-rotie-rouge-2021","title":"Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie Rouge 2021","description":"\"Louis Barruol has turned out a successful 2021 Cote Rotie, evoking hints of espresso, smoked meat, black olives and tart berries. It's medium-bodied and silky-textured, with tea-like notes on the complex, elegant finish.\" -    Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate","brand":"Château de Saint Cosme","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49580696076594,"sku":"COS160BXR2021","price":1100.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_dadff973-10ed-446d-a74a-ec0251473b0c.jpg?v=1733230208"},{"product_id":"blankbottle-little-william-2022","title":"BLANKbottle Little William 2022","description":"\"The wine is named after my chance meeting with a little boy called William on the Witzenberg mountains. It’s been a fascinating story from the start, but became even more bizarre at the end of last year, with another chance meeting. \nLittle William reloaded!\n\nIn January 2016, I was driving back from a tiny little vineyard in the Koue Bokkeveld (Ceres Plateau). Cruising along at the 100km\/h speed limit, I came to a very winding stretch of road leading towards the Witzenberg pass. Suddenly, for a split second, I thought I saw something in the middle of the road. I had just come through a super sharp bend and had to jump on the brakes with both feet. When I finally got my 470 000-km-on-the-clock Toyota to stop, there, on the white line in the middle of the road, stood a little blonde boy. I guessed him around a year and a half old. He was in his nappies and had a white T-shirt on, perfectly camouflaged on the white line. Unsure of what to do once I'd taken him out of the road, I thought it a good plan to prompt him and see which direction he takes off in (with myself of course right behind).\n\nAbout 200 meters further along the road he (we) crossed a little bridge heading towards the other side of the canal. He turned up a dirt road which led to a farmhouse about 300 meters up a hill. Keeping up to his snail-like pace, we arrived at the house more or less 10 minutes later (in my experience with farm dogs, it wouldn’t have been wise to carry him). When the gardener saw us approaching, he called out to a woman at the house and judging by her reaction, she must’ve been his mom and he must’ve been missing for a while. \n\nIt was a bit of an emotional and chaotic environment so, knowing he was safe, I just turned around and left without introducing myself.\n\nSo each time I present a tasting with Little William wine as part of the line-up, I get the same question: “Why is it called, Little William?”, followed almost without fail by: “What does the family have to say about you calling a wine, Little William?” My answer is always the same: “I never went back, they don't even know the wine exists. But I am convinced there will be this one day where I’d be sitting at some local bar in Knysna, drinking a beer all by myself when the young guy next to me turns to me and introduces himself as William from Ceres.\" And I’ll be able to tell him: “Eendag, lank, lank gelede het hierdie oom jou lewe gered!”\n\nFor 4 years I had the privilege of telling the story of little William. Until last year. When Chapter 2 happened.\n\nIn November, we took our youngest son for a minor operation at Panorama Mediclinic, Tygerberg, Cape Town. The lady at reception looked at us with a puzzled look on her face. We later learnt that there had been a mistake on the paperwork and they were under the impression that he was an adult. They had subsequently booked him into an adult ward. The man next to him had drunk a cup of coffee at 6:00am that morning with milk in. His operation therefore had to be postponed and he obviously missed his theatre time slot. He had to wait almost the whole day for the next slot. He and Sebastian eventually left for the theatre at more or less the same time. I went to get us a cup of coffee, and as she always does, Aneen started making conversation with the milk-in-the-coffee guy’s wife. On my return Aneen said: ”They are from Ceres, tell her the little William story.” I cringed, thinking: \"Why would I do that??\" I tried to let her comment slide and filled the awkward silence with useless words. We carried on with the small talk and she ended up telling us that she is a vet and her husband is a farmer. “Where do you farm in Ceres?”, I asked. “In the Witzenberg mountains, on a farm called Blah-blah-blah”, she answered.\n\nAnd, as you’ve probably guessed by now, that was the name of the farm where I dropped little William that morning. It started dawning on me that it might be my Knysna-bar-thing moment happening in a totally bizarre, different way. “Do you have a son called William?” I asked. “No”, she replied, “but my nephew is called William and they live on the same farm, in the house next to the road.” We did the sums and he would’ve been exactly 1 and a half years at the time. So it turns out it wasn't a beer-in-hand pub in Knysna, but a coffee-in-hand hospital in Cape Town. I should've listened to Aneen right from the start... so I told her the whole story and she phoned her sister-in-law. “Did you ever lose William on the farm?” she asked (I don’t think that’s the type of story you volunteer to tell your extended family if not prompted). “Yes”, she said. “There was this one day…”\n\nPS: This incident made me think about everyone’s life stories. I’m convinced that these kind of things happen to everyone. The difference is that I just happened to call a wine Little William, and I have a reason to re-tell this story. If I didn’t, I would’ve possibly only re-told the story once or twice, but I can imagine how the finer details could've gotten lost between profit margins and VAT.  I have a responsibility to convey the story in an honest and factual way. You know how easily a story gets blurry. So each time I drive the road, I recheck my facts: Where exactly did William stand? Distances? The name of the farm? The story then became part of our story. And that day when the lady mentioned Ceres, the first thing Aneen thought about was the boy in the road.\" Winemaker's notes","brand":"BLANKbottle Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583118811442,"sku":"WAL113BXR2022","price":379.99,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_5361a6de-b5d6-40f5-ac7f-d0e4b5f7ec51.jpg?v=1751356332"},{"product_id":"domaine-lionnet-cornas-terre-brulee-2022","title":"Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brûlée 2022","description":" \"The 2022 Cornas Terre Brulee, crafted from several plots situated mainly in the north of the appellation, is seamless and complete, bursting with pure aromas of iris, violet, gentian and dark berries. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered, enveloping core of fruit, it's framed by structured, youthful tannins and a long, mineral and slightly firm finish. Its delicate austerity should mellow with time in the cellar. This is an impressive effort!\" - Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate ","brand":"Domaine Lionnet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583128641842,"sku":"LIO002BXR2022","price":895.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_63352fd7-b197-4203-a836-4552f6a86a52.jpg?v=1747919887"},{"product_id":"domaine-lionnet-cornas-terre-brulee-2022-magnum","title":"Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brûlée 2022 Magnum","description":"\"The 2022 Cornas Terre Brulee, crafted from several plots situated mainly in the north of the appellation, is seamless and complete, bursting with pure aromas of iris, violet, gentian and dark berries. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered, enveloping core of fruit, it's framed by structured, youthful tannins and a long, mineral and slightly firm finish. Its delicate austerity should mellow with time in the cellar. This is an impressive effort!\" -     Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate","brand":"Domaine Lionnet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583129133362,"sku":"LIO002MXR2022","price":1795.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_388581a9-4be8-4941-9cdd-298a32b48d63.jpg?v=1747919227"},{"product_id":"domaine-lionnet-cornas-pur-granit-2022","title":"Domaine Lionnet Cornas Pur Granit 2022","description":"The 2022 Cornas Pur Granit is an attractive, perfumed wine. Evoking aromas of violet, dark cherries and licorice mingled with delicate notes of pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, enveloping and concentrated with a sweet entry, structured tannins and a fleshy core of fruit that segues into a long, spicy and ethereal finish. This is a well-crafted, elegant and vibrant Cornas that will offer a broad drinking window. - Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate","brand":"Domaine Lionnet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583129723186,"sku":"LIO003BXR2022","price":995.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_066a6b6d-7cff-46da-8f44-ee7b2c79c213.jpg?v=1747922286"},{"product_id":"newton-johnson-falkirk-syrah-2022","title":"Newton Johnson Falkirk Syrah 2022","description":"\"This Syrah used to go into the Granum blend but is now bottled on its own. Meaty, spicy, firm and well structured, it's very much a cool climate style, with herbal top notes from 60% whole bunches, hints of peat and wild mountain herbs and a core of cranberry and black cherry fruit. Serious stuff.\" - Tim Atkin MW","brand":"Newton Johnson Family Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583139848498,"sku":"NJW068BXR2022","price":560.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_977503b0-0a1e-4a7f-bd60-ad82721e1f7a.jpg?v=1757427552"},{"product_id":"keermont-syrah-2019","title":"Keermont Syrah 2018","description":"\"The \"basic\" Keermont Syrah uses grapes from the Topside, Steepside and Sweetwater vineyards and is something of a bargain given its quality. Paired with 10% Mourvèdre, this is alluringly perfumed and exotic, with lavender and wild thyme aromas, bramble, pomegranate and black cherry flavours and supple tannins.\" - Tim Atkin MW\n","brand":"Keermont Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583140143410,"sku":"KEE051BXR2018","price":340.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_a4a55726-31f9-4650-bf2d-68e47286f223.jpg?v=1751352908"},{"product_id":"j-l-chave-selection-saint-joseph-offerus-2022","title":"J.L. Chave Sélection Saint-Joseph Offerus 2022","description":"\"Boysenberry and juicy plum notes reveal hints of earth, violet and loamy earth in this focused, elegant red, while smoked meat, mocha and graphite move in on the medium-bodied frame. Tangy acidity and fine tannins firm up the finish. Drink now through 2030.\" - Wine Spectator","brand":"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49583236645170,"sku":"JCS111BXR2022","price":494.99,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_c7dd8e9d-43a7-498c-a8d7-f2a86f659c4b.jpg?v=1756989129"},{"product_id":"blankbottle-little-william-2022-magnum","title":"BLANKbottle Little William 2022 Magnum","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"The wine is named after my chance meeting with a little boy called William on the Witzenberg mountains. It’s been a fascinating story from the start, but became even more bizarre at the end of last year, with another chance meeting. Little William reloaded!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn January 2016, I was driving back from a tiny little vineyard in the Koue Bokkeveld (Ceres Plateau). Cruising along at the 100km\/h speed limit, I came to a very winding stretch of road leading towards the Witzenberg pass. Suddenly, for a split second, I thought I saw something in the middle of the road. I had just come through a super sharp bend and had to jump on the brakes with both feet. When I finally got my 470 000-km-on-the-clock Toyota to stop, there, on the white line in the middle of the road, stood a little blonde boy. I guessed him around a year and a half old. He was in his nappies and had a white T-shirt on, perfectly camouflaged on the white line. Unsure of what to do once I'd taken him out of the road, I thought it a good plan to prompt him and see which direction he takes off in (with myself of course right behind).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 200 meters further along the road he (we) crossed a little bridge heading towards the other side of the canal. He turned up a dirt road which led to a farmhouse about 300 meters up a hill. Keeping up to his snail-like pace, we arrived at the house more or less 10 minutes later (in my experience with farm dogs, it wouldn’t have been wise to carry him). When the gardener saw us approaching, he called out to a woman at the house and judging by her reaction, she must’ve been his mom and he must’ve been missing for a while.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a bit of an emotional and chaotic environment so, knowing he was safe, I just turned around and left without introducing myself. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo each time I present a tasting with Little William wine as part of the line-up, I get the same question: “Why is it called, Little William?”, followed almost without fail by: “What does the family have to say about you calling a wine, Little William?” My answer is always the same: “I never went back, they don't even know the wine exists. But I am convinced there will be this one day where I’d be sitting at some local bar in Knysna, drinking a beer all by myself when the young guy next to me turns to me and introduces himself as William from Ceres.\" And I’ll be able to tell him: “Eendag, lank, lank gelede het hierdie oom jou lewe gered!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor 4 years I had the privilege of telling the story of little William. Until last year. When Chapter 2 happened. In November, we took our youngest son for a minor operation at Panorama Mediclinic, Tygerberg, Cape Town. The lady at reception looked at us with a puzzled look on her face. We later learnt that there had been a mistake on the paperwork and they were under the impression that he was an adult. They had subsequently booked him into an adult ward. The man next to him had drunk a cup of coffee at 6:00am that morning with milk in. His operation therefore had to be postponed and he obviously missed his theatre time slot. He had to wait almost the whole day for the next slot. He and Sebastian eventually left for the theatre at more or less the same time. I went to get us a cup of coffee, and as she always does, Aneen started making conversation with the milk-in-the-coffee guy’s wife. On my return Aneen said: ”They are from Ceres, tell her the little William story.” I cringed, thinking: \"Why would I do that??\" I tried to let her comment slide and filled the awkward silence with useless words. We carried on with the small talk and she ended up telling us that she is a vet and her husband is a farmer. “Where do you farm in Ceres?”, I asked. “In the Witzenberg mountains, on a farm called Blah-blah-blah”, she answered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd, as you’ve probably guessed by now, that was the name of the farm where I dropped little William that morning. It started dawning on me that it might be my Knysna-bar-thing moment happening in a totally bizarre, different way. “Do you have a son called William?” I asked. “No”, she replied, “but my nephew is called William and they live on the same farm, in the house next to the road.” We did the sums and he would’ve been exactly 1 and a half years at the time. So it turns out it wasn't a beer-in-hand pub in Knysna, but a coffee-in-hand hospital in Cape Town. I should've listened to Aneen right from the start... so I told her the whole story and she phoned her sister-in-law. “Did you ever lose William on the farm?” she asked (I don’t think that’s the type of story you volunteer to tell your extended family if not prompted). “Yes”, she said. “There was this one day…”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePS: This incident made me think about everyone’s life stories. I’m convinced that these kind of things happen to everyone. The difference is that I just happened to call a wine Little William, and I have a reason to re-tell this story. If I didn’t, I would’ve possibly only re-told the story once or twice, but I can imagine how the finer details could've gotten lost between profit margins and VAT. I have a responsibility to convey the story in an honest and factual way. You know how easily a story gets blurry. So each time I drive the road, I recheck my facts: Where exactly did William stand? Distances? The name of the farm? The story then became part of our story. And that day when the lady mentioned Ceres, the first thing Aneen thought about was the boy in the road.\" Winemaker's notes\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BLANKbottle Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49763813196082,"sku":"WAL113MXR2022","price":775.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_ef38d42a-7548-4ae3-93f1-1e4e82643923.jpg?v=1740662287"},{"product_id":"ctr003bxr2021","title":"Domaine Nicolas Champagneux Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places 2021","description":"\"Black raspberries, candied blue fruits, violets, pepper, and iron, as well as some smoky, meaty notes, all emerge from the 2021 Côte Rôtie Les Grandes Places, a nicely concentrated, focused, balanced, and structured 2021. I love its purity of fruit, and it has a focused, chiseled texture and outstanding length.\" - Jeb Dunnuck","brand":"Domaine Nicolas Champagneux","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50013264478514,"sku":"CTR003BXR2021","price":1725.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_2c9f07cc-7cfb-4b0f-982b-9a43e7126e42.jpg?v=1748264167"},{"product_id":"keermont-steepside-syrah-2019","title":"Keermont Steepside Syrah 2019","description":"\"Steepside hails from a warmer, north-facing site on cooler clay soils. Fermented with 15% whole clusters, it's a superb single parcel Syrah from Alex Starey, with supple, fleshy tannins, aromas of rosemary and fynbos, fig and blackberry flavours and some meaty reduction. Fresher and more focused than it seems as first.\" - Tim Atkin MW","brand":"Keermont Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50156504351026,"sku":"KEE038BXR2019","price":645.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_7a0e32b5-8ae4-4f06-a446-1367109ad771.jpg?v=1750844108"},{"product_id":"damascene-w-o-ceres-plateau-syrah-2024","title":"Damascene W.O. Ceres Plateau Syrah 2024","description":"\"The 2024 Syrah Ceres Plateau comes from Bokkeveld shale soils with 60% whole cluster and matured for 11 months in 2,000-litre Austrian oak. This has a lifted and expressive bouquet with white pepper and clove infusing the black fruit, a little Cornas-like in style. There is a \"coolness\" about these aromatics. The palate is very pure with a slightly grainy texture, black fruit again laced with graphite and white pepper notes. Reserved, linear and focused, this is a Syrah that is calling out to be matched with food on the dinner table. Very precise and persistent on the finish. Excellent.\" - Neal Martin, Vinous","brand":"Damascene","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50420757954866,"sku":"DAM019BXR2024","price":575.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_d9b7d7c5-841a-4fce-83fd-b44e113b4e92.jpg?v=1759749367"},{"product_id":"damascene-w-o-swartland-syrah-2024","title":"Damascene W.O. Swartland Syrah 2024","description":"\"The 2024 Syrah Swartland comes from three sites, one échalas, predominantly on schist and shale soils, 75% whole cluster and matured in 2,000-litre Austrian foudres. Wow, this has a stunning bouquet with camphor-tinged black and blueberry that bursts from the glass, yet there is still real elegance here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, silky in texture (totally different to the Ceres Plateau cuvée that is more powdery), a little sweeter towards the finish yet structured with a dash of cracked black pepper and a hint of garrigues. Deeply impressive.\" - Neal Martin, Vinous","brand":"Damascene","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50420758020402,"sku":"DAM012BXR2024","price":575.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_fac52b76-eb83-466e-bbb3-a4ecd15090a8.jpg?v=1759750808"},{"product_id":"domaine-alain-voge-cornas-les-vieilles-fontaines-2023","title":"Domaine Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines 2023","description":"\"Ripe black fruit, crushed violet, pencil shaving and a touch of licorice introduce the 2023 Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines. Full-bodied, concentrated and evocative, the 2023 is shaping up to be a delightful, classic rendition of this cuvée.\"- Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous","brand":"Domaine Alain Voge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50887683080498,"sku":"VOG006BXR2023","price":1975.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_faf33d8a-9af5-47f2-8dd1-d845952f0296.jpg?v=1770370027"},{"product_id":"domaine-nicolas-champagneux-cote-rotie-les-grandes-places-2022","title":"Domaine Nicolas Champagneux Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places 2022","description":"Tasting notes to follow","brand":"Domaine Nicolas Champagneux","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50888037073202,"sku":"CTR003BXR2022","price":1750.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_53cb0e9c-1c66-4892-a0c2-ba4918fc3558.jpg?v=1770373088"},{"product_id":"domaine-alain-voge-cornas-les-vieilles-vignes-2023","title":"Domaine Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes 2023","description":"\"Rosemary, woodsmoke and almond scents. Good weight of fruit, more concentrated than most 2023 Cornas. Bright, glinting acidity and a saline edge, with a long finish. A mineral expression of Cornas with edge and grit.\" - Decanter","brand":"Domaine Alain Voge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50888037171506,"sku":"VOG005BXR2023","price":1250.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_786c0753-2ad6-4c7b-b70a-ace8a936f95f.jpg?v=1770366252"},{"product_id":"domaine-alain-voge-cornas-les-chailles-2023","title":"Domaine Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles 2023","description":"\"Blended from grapes grown across various terroirs—primarily from vineyards located on the lower slopes, supplemented by a few younger vines from Saint-Pierre—the 2023 Cornas Les Chailles was fully destemmed and aged for 18 months in 228-liter oak barrels, with no new oak. It is a magnificent, classic Cornas, with aromas of ripe black fruit and bouquet garni, along with hints of pepper and violet. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, round, supple, and undeniably delicious. Best enjoyed within the next 10 to 15 years. To be savored between 2026 and 2041.\" - Jeb Dunnuck","brand":"Domaine Alain Voge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50888037204274,"sku":"VOG004BXR2023","price":865.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_34819833-d36f-45b7-87b0-71900f9ada49.jpg?v=1777534268"},{"product_id":"olifantsberg-syrah-2021","title":"Olifantsberg Syrah 2021","description":"\"This is the best Syrah yet from Olifantsberg's privileged terroir in the Breedekloof Valley, a wine that bears comparison with the best examples from Stellenbosch and the Swartland. Graceful, racy and refined, it has some stylish struck match reduction, clove and tobacco leaf notes from 30% whole bunches, racy bramble, liquorice and blackberry flavours and sculpted tannins. 2026-31\" - Tim Atkin MW","brand":"Olifantsberg Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50954502603058,"sku":"OFV202BXR2021","price":375.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_5655a3e4-3633-42ac-8e96-7fcceb2e8a65.jpg?v=1773145928"},{"product_id":"keermont-syrah-2021","title":"Keermont Syrah 2020","description":"\"The 2020 Syrah comes from small batches of fruit, hand-picked according to ripeness level, a blend of the Steepside, Topside and Sweetwater vineyards with no Mourvèdre in the blend as Starey is moving away from that variety in the blends. It spends four weeks on the skins, then matures for up to 22 months in used French oak. This has a tightly wound nose at first, gradually opening with brambly red fruit, black olive and touches of Provençal herb. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fluid tannins matched with a keen line of acidity. Just slightly confit-like in the second half, hints of marmalade strike through the vivacious red fruit, leading to a grainy, mineral-rich finish. Excellent.\" - Neal Martin, Vinous","brand":"Keermont Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50988383404338,"sku":"KEE051BXR2020","price":345.01,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_688335f6-069b-49eb-bf9d-99e2eca259bb.jpg?v=1773995109"},{"product_id":"keermont-steepside-syrah-2020","title":"Keermont Steepside Syrah 2020","description":"\"The 2020 Syrah Single Vineyards Series Steepside comes from a north-facing slope planted at 400m above sea level on rocky, clayey soils, matured for 22 months in 225-litre barrels. It has quite an open nose with red plum (apparently planted on the site pre-vine!), raspberry and white pepper scents. Impressive definition. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip, very harmonious, black pepper sprinkled over the red fruit with a touch of thyme and sage on the finish. The more you drink this, the more you fall for its charms.\" Neal Martin, Vinous","brand":"Keermont Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51152612655410,"sku":"KEE038BXR2020","price":645.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_9206bbc5-0f1b-4242-b119-ac9272e2e378.jpg?v=1778743569"},{"product_id":"keermont-topside-syrah-2020","title":"Keermont Topside Syrah 2020","description":"\"The 2020 Syrah Single Vineyard Series Topside comes from unirrigated west-facing vines on sandstone soil, 15% whole bunch and matured for 22 months in seasoned 500-litre French oak. This is a little higher-toned in style, black cherries and black plum, quite floral with hints of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied, very smooth, a touch of white pepper from the stems and demonstrates a tad more detail on the finish. Excellent.\" - Neal Martin, Vinous","brand":"Keermont Vineyards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51152612688178,"sku":"KEE037BXR2020","price":645.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_cf850bf1-7316-403c-849a-6abaf388b340.jpg?v=1778677390"},{"product_id":"blankbottle-little-william-2025","title":"BLANKbottle Little William 2025","description":"\"The wine is named after my chance meeting with a little boy called William on the Witzenberg mountains. It’s been a fascinating story from the start, but became even more bizarre at the end of last year, with another chance meeting. \nLittle William reloaded!\n\nIn January 2016, I was driving back from a tiny little vineyard in the Koue Bokkeveld (Ceres Plateau). Cruising along at the 100km\/h speed limit, I came to a very winding stretch of road leading towards the Witzenberg pass. Suddenly, for a split second, I thought I saw something in the middle of the road. I had just come through a super sharp bend and had to jump on the brakes with both feet. When I finally got my 470 000-km-on-the-clock Toyota to stop, there, on the white line in the middle of the road, stood a little blonde boy. I guessed him around a year and a half old. He was in his nappies and had a white T-shirt on, perfectly camouflaged on the white line. Unsure of what to do once I'd taken him out of the road, I thought it a good plan to prompt him and see which direction he takes off in (with myself of course right behind).\n\nAbout 200 meters further along the road he (we) crossed a little bridge heading towards the other side of the canal. He turned up a dirt road which led to a farmhouse about 300 meters up a hill. Keeping up to his snail-like pace, we arrived at the house more or less 10 minutes later (in my experience with farm dogs, it wouldn’t have been wise to carry him). When the gardener saw us approaching, he called out to a woman at the house and judging by her reaction, she must’ve been his mom and he must’ve been missing for a while. \n\nIt was a bit of an emotional and chaotic environment so, knowing he was safe, I just turned around and left without introducing myself.\n\nSo each time I present a tasting with Little William wine as part of the line-up, I get the same question: “Why is it called, Little William?”, followed almost without fail by: “What does the family have to say about you calling a wine, Little William?” My answer is always the same: “I never went back, they don't even know the wine exists. But I am convinced there will be this one day where I’d be sitting at some local bar in Knysna, drinking a beer all by myself when the young guy next to me turns to me and introduces himself as William from Ceres.\" And I’ll be able to tell him: “Eendag, lank, lank gelede het hierdie oom jou lewe gered!”\n\nFor 4 years I had the privilege of telling the story of little William. Until last year. When Chapter 2 happened.\n\nIn November, we took our youngest son for a minor operation at Panorama Mediclinic, Tygerberg, Cape Town. The lady at reception looked at us with a puzzled look on her face. We later learnt that there had been a mistake on the paperwork and they were under the impression that he was an adult. They had subsequently booked him into an adult ward. The man next to him had drunk a cup of coffee at 6:00am that morning with milk in. His operation therefore had to be postponed and he obviously missed his theatre time slot. He had to wait almost the whole day for the next slot. He and Sebastian eventually left for the theatre at more or less the same time. I went to get us a cup of coffee, and as she always does, Aneen started making conversation with the milk-in-the-coffee guy’s wife. On my return Aneen said: ”They are from Ceres, tell her the little William story.” I cringed, thinking: \"Why would I do that??\" I tried to let her comment slide and filled the awkward silence with useless words. We carried on with the small talk and she ended up telling us that she is a vet and her husband is a farmer. “Where do you farm in Ceres?”, I asked. “In the Witzenberg mountains, on a farm called Blah-blah-blah”, she answered.\n\nAnd, as you’ve probably guessed by now, that was the name of the farm where I dropped little William that morning. It started dawning on me that it might be my Knysna-bar-thing moment happening in a totally bizarre, different way. “Do you have a son called William?” I asked. “No”, she replied, “but my nephew is called William and they live on the same farm, in the house next to the road.” We did the sums and he would’ve been exactly 1 and a half years at the time. So it turns out it wasn't a beer-in-hand pub in Knysna, but a coffee-in-hand hospital in Cape Town. I should've listened to Aneen right from the start... so I told her the whole story and she phoned her sister-in-law. “Did you ever lose William on the farm?” she asked (I don’t think that’s the type of story you volunteer to tell your extended family if not prompted). “Yes”, she said. “There was this one day…”\n\nPS: This incident made me think about everyone’s life stories. I’m convinced that these kind of things happen to everyone. The difference is that I just happened to call a wine Little William, and I have a reason to re-tell this story. If I didn’t, I would’ve possibly only re-told the story once or twice, but I can imagine how the finer details could've gotten lost between profit margins and VAT.  I have a responsibility to convey the story in an honest and factual way. You know how easily a story gets blurry. So each time I drive the road, I recheck my facts: Where exactly did William stand? Distances? The name of the farm? The story then became part of our story. And that day when the lady mentioned Ceres, the first thing Aneen thought about was the boy in the road.\" Winemaker's notes","brand":"BLANKbottle Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51564374065458,"sku":"WAL113BXR2025","price":379.99,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/files\/file_ddf39f99-5c9e-4dbc-87ad-fac6b3d1231e.jpg?v=1786519690"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0892\/2044\/8562\/collections\/Le_Black_Reserve_8_2_a6ceca12-4a90-40a5-a1a7-2a635ad471a4.png?v=1729061765","url":"https:\/\/greatdomaines.co.za\/collections\/syrah-shiraz.oembed","provider":"Great Domaines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}