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Safriel House is a family owned wine house that is founded upon a passion for, and working experience of South African vineyards and wine making.

We would love to share our story with you, so make sure you read about how we came into being, who we are and the story behind our labels.

 

Sui Generis Syrah 2019 Award Winner Integrity and Sustainability Certified

Syrah 2019 Label
Sui Generis (Latin phrase): “in a class by itself”, therefore, “unique”

 
At the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, one finds the ‘Cape of Storms’, better known as Cape Agulhas. The weather that boils up over the cold Atlantic to meet its warm Indian counterpart here can be savage, with many a sailor’s voyage ending fatally on the shallow reefs. To guide sailors away from disaster, the famous red and white lighthouse was built here in 1848 and stands to this day.
The Elim Lighhouse
The Elim ward, situated on this peninsula, derives its name from the Mission Station in Elim – a quaint little town with thatched cottages, at the heart of which is the mission's church. The name Elim, meaning “place of God” originates from a biblical reference in Exodus 15:27. After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites came to Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and camped near the water.


 

The Vineyard

KoffieklipThe wind swept vineyards in the Elim ward are special because of their variation over even quite small distances. The dominant soil is locally known as koffieklip (coffee stone), and is distinctive in its appearance consisting of lumps of iron-rich clay holding together smaller stones. It is soft enough to break apart with your hands. There’s also shale, which closely resembles slate, some granite and quartzite. This stylish, cool climate Syrah are made from Francis Pratt’s vineyard and the old Zoetendal vineyard.

 

In the Winery

Minimal intervention throughout the winemaking process created a beautiful medium-bodied red wine showcasing the winemaker's mastery of Elim’s unique, saline and windswept character. After de-stemming, the wine fermented naturally in open-top fermenters with daily punch-downs. The wine then spent 11 months in 20% new and older French oak, the balance between the two ensuring that the nature of the vineyards shines through. The 2019 Syrah has been called a "benchmark for the region" and embodies the essence of Elim Syrah being a great example of cool-climate Northern Rhone Syrah.
Technical details: Alcohol - 13.5 %vol ; pH - 3.72; RS - 1.5 g/l; Total Acid - 5 g/l

Tasting Notes

The wine is restrained and savory with precision and purity in its trademark aromas of fynbos, tealeaf and pepper over plum fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity that lends energy and tension towards the precise and detailed finish. This is a superb, sophisticated and nuanced Syrah that should age with style.

 

Awards:
94 points - Tim Atkin South Africa 2021 Special Report
93 points - John Platter 2022 South African Wine Guide
Gold Medal - The South African (Old Mutual) Trophy 2021 Wine Show

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Lynne

 

Lynne Safriel's thoughts: "There is an underlying energy in Elim wines that’s impossible to fully grasp or explain. It’s as though the environment is not passive, rather it is an active participant. And this is what sets the wines apart"

 

 

 

 

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