2021, Lismore Estate Reserve Syrah, Lismore Estate Vineyards
Parker 96 (2023); Tim Atkin MW 95 (2023); Vinous 94 (2023)
Mix any six bottles and 15% comes off at checkout — no code needed.
At a glance
- Grape
- Syrah
- Region
- Greyton, South Africa
- Alcohol
- 12.00%
- Body
- Medium to full
- Acidity
- High
- Tannins
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Long (10-20 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Lamb, Pasta
Why this wine
Lismore is a single estate in Greyton, high and cool, built from nothing by an American who arrived in 2003 and lost the whole property to wildfire in 2019 before replanting. Peppery, restrained Syrah in a northern Rhone register. The estate's serious red.
Our advantages:
Description
How it tastes
Intensely aromatic with layers of blackberry, mulberry and blueberry alongside violets, black pepper, smoked herbs and graphite. Subtle notes of incense and dark spice reflect both terroir and restrained oak handling. Elegant, savoury and finely structured. Bright acidity and refined tannins frame flavours of black fruit, plum skin, cracked pepper and dried herbs. A mineral, smoky undertone adds tension and length, finishing with poise and purity that recall Northern Rhône Syrah while remaining distinctly South African. EDKA Wines – Professional Tasting Description.
The producer
Lismore estate's vineyards, situated in the cool foothills of the Riviersonderend Mountains in Greyton, is celebrated for producing some of South Africa's most refined, mountain-influenced wines. Farmed organically and guided by minimal intervention, the estate's high-altitude vineyards deliver Syrah of remarkable purity, perfume and tension. The Reserve Syrah is crafted from exceptional parcels grown on decomposed shale and granite, combining old-world elegance with the energy and luminosity of the Cape's unique terroir.
Food and drinking
Good with lamb and pasta. Drinking well now, with a decade or more ahead of it. Serve at 16–18°C to highlight aromatic complexity, peppery lift and textural finesse.