THE SORT of place you can fall in love with. Quaint. A wine farm in the traditional sense. Sprawling vineyards. Dirt roads. Classic design. Duck pond and gardens. Organic feel. Welcoming yet somewhat secluded: only open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays (otherwise by appointment), and only four wines, apart from the occasional once-off.

Also selling under Kleinood’s Tamboerskloof label, there’s an interesting Viognier, but at the home of Gerard de Villiers and his family alongside the Blaauwklippen Road in the Helderberg area of Stellenbosch, it’s mostly about Shiraz – or Syrah, as they prefer to call the variety. The Katharien Rosé is made from Shiraz, the flagship red is John Spicer Syrah, and the Kleinood Tamboerskloof Syrah has been particularly successful on the world stage.

The 2010 vintage of Tamboerskloof Syrah won a gold medal at Syrah du Monde in France, the 2011 gold at the Six Nations Challenge in Sydney, the 2013 and 2014 were Highly Recommended in Platter’s SA Wine Guide and, just released onto the market, the 2015 also won gold at Syrah du Monde.

Tamboerskloof Syrah 2015

WO Stellenbosch. Comprising 94% Shiraz, 5% Mourvèdre, 1% Viognier. From 14-year-old vines, 18km from the Atlantic Ocean. Hand-picked grapes sorted three times before going into stainless steel fermenters in a cellar where a combination of modern technology and old-style winemaking techniques are used. 19 months in 500L and 300L French oak barrels (15% new, the remainder in older barrels). Cellaring potential: 10 years.
Alc 14 | RS 2.1 | TA 5.7 | pH 3.4
Producers’ Tasting Notes: Ruby in colour. Complex nose of fynbos aromas (rosemary, lemon verbena, lavender and marjoram), ripe cherry, fine spices, cassis, currant and ripe strawberry. On the palate, dark plumb, Christmas cake, Turkish delight and a fine hint of cinnamon. Finishes with soft elegant, chalky tannins. Decant 30 minutes prior to serving.
Pairing Suggestions: red meats, ostrich fillet, venison, Asian food and tomato-based dishes.
Cellar-door price: R220pb.