Johan Grimbeek is the winemaker at South African winery Kanu. Through top restaurateur Bertus Basson, I managed to get my hands of a bottle of his home brew – it goes under the label of Aeternitas, and it’s a Syrah from a single vineyard in Stellenbosch, aged half in new oak. It’s a ripe, warm style, but I liked it a lot. I’m a big fan of seeing winemakers for larger companies making a bit of wine on the side: it keeps them interested, and these wines are often the ones that help keep established regions fresh. It’s enlightened of winery owners to allow it.
Aeternitas Syrah 2007 Stellenbosch, South Africa
14.8% alcohol. Ripe, sweet blackberry and plum fruit nose is warm and spicy. The palate is ripe with great concentration and subtle tar, spice and blackcurrant bud notes under the dense fruit. Warm and spicy with some savoury notes and a slightly drying edge, as well as some characters of dried herbs. Real interest. 90/100
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1 Comment on Aeternitas, a new Syrah from South Africa
I haven’t had the pleasure of tasting the home brew, but I did taste the Kanu Chenin Blanc 2009 and found it to be a crisp easy drinker.