This is a predominantly Tone & Backbone wine, but it shares structural nuances of Round & Fleshy as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
Medium bodied with plus structure, the wine unfolds with blackberry, green olives, mint, wild herbs, violet, earth, and an attractive vein of salty minerality, along with pungent black pepper.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Syrah is widely planted throughout the world, but that was not so until the late twentieth century when Syrah was principally grown in the Rhone Valley and, as Shiraz, in Australia. Stylistically, the Palate Character of Syrah can vary depending on ripeness from a rich Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone, to a Powerful & Extracted. The flavors and aromas can also vary with a dark, sometimes sweet, fruit character, varying amount of spice, floral, and earth, and smoke, and meaty aromas and flavors.
Duncan Savage started making his own wine as a side gig in 2011 while he was still the winemaker at Cape Point Vineyards. In 2016 he decided to focus on his eponymous brand, Savage wines.
After establishing his own winery, Mr. Savage purchased grapes from maritime and high-altitude sites that he knew well from his experience at Cape Point. He seeks to pick grapes early while they retain bright acidity, using whole clusters when the stalks are ripe, and practicing gentle extraction before aging the grapes in large oak barrels to help retain the individual character of the terroir.
The wines of Savage are characterized by energy, restraint, and structure with very complex aromas and flavors that speak to the balance of nature and nurture.
Blackberry
Green Olives
Black Pepper
