Syrah Mason Road 2023, Brookdale

The Mason Road Syrah is extremely aromatic. Notes of violet, kirsch, red cherries, black olives, and a hint of smoked meat are reminiscent of the Rhône Valley. On the palate, the tannins are quite grippy, yet fine grained and wash away with lively acidity. The savory side comes back in the finish, which is the perfect ending for this damn-tasty Syrah.

Pairing Ideas

Syrah is a meaty grape, so it pairs best with meaty dishes. We love Syrah with lamb! But it will also go well with duck, just about any kind of steak, and definitely mushrooms.

Terroir 

Located at the foot of the Du Toitskloof Pass in Paarl, South Africa, the vineyards are comprised of granite-rich soils interspersed with clay and quartz. The estate is exposed to strong winds, which help cool down the warm climate of the region and maintain balance and acidity in the grapes.

Vine age

Between 5 and 10 years old, but already garnering critical acclaim!

Vinification

• Hand-harvested in eight different passes and fermented in open-top vessels

• Fully de-stemmed; however, 30% were air-dried, then added back into fermentation to contribute spicy notes

• Native yeast fermentation

• Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrels and foudres with a short maceration on the skins to stabilize the color and give the palate length

• Eight months in 300 and 500 liter French oak barrels as well as 2500 liter foudre barrels (40% third use)

About the Winery

The story of Brookdale Estate begins with the vision of Tim Rudd, a UK-native who purchased the historic, yet neglected wine farm and converted it into a thriving estate. Named after the hamlet where Tim was born, Brookdale has been transformed into one of the most beautiful wine farms in South Africa known for exceptional quality, sustainable and minimal intervention approaches, and a world-class hotel and bistro on site.

After Rudd purchased the farm, he hired Duncan Savage—one of South Africa’s most famous winemakers—to consult. They embarked on a multi-year vineyard revitalization program with an emphasis on sustainability. Any old vine heritage stock in good condition was revitalized; any too far gone, was replanted. They were able to save a tremendous amount of legacy stock and today, Brookdale Estate is home to several blocks of vines that are more than 25 years of age. There are even several blocks that are more than 35 years of age, allowing them to be certified as Heritage Vines by the Old Vine Project.

Not long into his time at Brookdale, Savage brought on Kiara Scott Farmer, a young intern who would quickly become one of South Africa’s winemaking stars. In 2019, after Savage departed to focus entirely on his own label, Brookdale appointed Kiara as their head winemaker, which made her the youngest head female winemaker in South Africa at 26 years of age! Without missing a beat, she led the estate to become a top producer in South Africa.

Kiara is as hard a worker as they come. She graduated from Elsenburg Ag. Tech (Africa’s first-ever agricultural training center) in viticulture and from Stellenbosch University in winemaking. She has also made wine in France—in Condrieu and Sancerre—and at Hartford Court in the Russian River Valley. All of this was before she was 25 years of age!

“I have a simple and minimal intervention approach to winemaking. I believe that great wines are made in the vineyard. Year-on-year, I am aiming to better understand our vineyards and soils to make the work in the cellar easier.” -Kiara Scott Farmer