An icon in the making – Porseleinberg
Talking to and tasting a full vertical of Porseleinberg with winemaker Callie Louw
It’s unfair perhaps to suggest that Porseleinberg isn’t an icon already – for it is, in certain circles at least. For anyone who has been following the New Wave movement in South Africa, this single-site Syrah has been one of the most talked-about since its first vintage in 2010. Its unfashionably age-worthy, intense and structured style has long set it apart, but having the chance to taste through every vintage ever produced shone a light on how much this wine has evolved – and how far it has the potential to go. The early vintages are somewhat rustic, and when tasting them in youth, I never favoured them – they were so closed, dark and swarthy. But since a drastic shift in the winemaking took place in 2018, Porseleinberg has been transformed, bringing new levels of precision, finesse and perfume. Its single-minded focus on just one wine (even though it is part of the Boekenhoutskloof family) makes it a bit of an outsider – but one that remains incredibly exciting. I sat down with winemaker Callie Louw to talk about the project.
