2023 Brookdale Estate ‘Mason Road’ Syrah, Paarl, South Africa

Rich red fruit slips out the glass like silk and velvet made tangible. A veil of spicy, resinous twigs dissolves into mulberries, olive tapenade and a background chorus of night flowers. Dripping in ripe redcurrants, the palate is succulent and flows with a gentle, blood orange acidity. There’s a touch of cherry cola, whipped away in a cloud of fresh black pepper. Like the finest of fabrics barely-there svelte tannins seam to a well-balanced, and neatly dry finish. 

Kiara Scott is not one to shy away from a challenge, and with the backing of proprietor Tim Rudd, she has the freedom to explore the boundaries of possibility at Brookdale Estate in Paarl. The Mason Road Syrah is no exception to this rule, and many were, shall we say, ‘nervous’ at the prospect of a Syrah from young vines being released in the same year as its harvest. But upon the first waft of the nose, all concerns were dispelled.