Cellar notes #20: The Cape crusader

The Franschhoek winery Boekenhoutskloof burst onto the scene with a remarkable 1997 syrah that took South Africa by storm. Before the wine had a chance to become established, the vines had to be uprooted to make way for an industrial area and a small but valuable piece of the Cape's heritage of old syrah vines was lost. Marc Kent, the winemaker and a joint partner, was determined to recover from the setback. After struggling with the next few vintages, he has finally cracked it and come up with the most convincing syrah he's made since the legendary 1997.

According to Kent, quality lies in the second half of the bottle. In other words, he makes wines to drink rather than be admired. So it is with the 2001 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah. It's an opulent red with brooding aromatic depth, a deft touch of oak rounding out the pristine sweet-savoury, mulberry-like fruit and peppery spice on the palate. It wears its 15 per cent alcohol surprisingly lightly and should age for up to 10 years.

While it hovers between northern Rhône syrah and New World shiraz, it remains uniquely South African in style. So much so that many in the Cape who would be only too happy if syrah of this quality could be more widely reproduced. The iconic label, with its seven antique wooden chairs, is worthy of New Zealand's Cloudy Bay label - very much part of the charm of this exceptional Franschhoek estate. Boekenhoutskloof (the locals call it bookenhotes) is available for £23.99 at Oddbins (ask your branch manager if it's not in-store); or £25 from Swig, London W4 (0800 0272 272).