Description
2024 Solms-Delta Hiervandaan
For the first time, the Syrah component—which forms the majority of the blend—was sourced from a vineyard just metres from the ocean in Walker Bay. This is cool-climate Syrah with a difference: influenced by coastal winds and salty sea spray, the grapes ripen slowly, developing taut acidity, refined tannins, and a signature aromatic lift. The result is a Syrah that trades brute force for perfumed elegance, with all the spice and wildness of the variety preserved in full.
Grapes were fully destemmed and allowed to cold soak for three days, encouraging colour stability and gentle flavour release before spontaneous fermentation took hold. Over 18 days on skins, with twice-daily pumpovers, the extraction was careful and gradual—never overpowering, always coaxing. Following a light press, the wine was divided: half aged in stainless steel to preserve vibrancy, and the other half in neutral 500L French oak barrels to add breadth and softness—no new oak, no excess.
But what truly rounds out the 2024 Hiervandaan is the thoughtful addition of Carignan—sourced from the Breedekloof. In small measure, it lends depth without distraction: broadening the tannin structure, grounding the wine with an earthy, ferrous note, and quietly amplifying the spice and savoury complexity of the Syrah.
After 14 months of ageing, the wine was lightly filtered and bottled with minimal handling. The result is a wine of tactile finesse, aromatic intricacy, and an unmistakable sense of place.
In the glass, Hiervandaan is deep ruby, edged with violet. The nose unfurls with notes of black pepper, iodine, crushed violets, and salted plum, anchored by a whisper of wild herbs and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied yet firm, driven by grainy tannins, a cool, linear core, and a lingering finish that pulses with sea air, spice, and stony minerality.
This is not a showpiece Syrah—it is a wine of restraint and resonance, made not for flash but for those who appreciate tension, texture, and truth. The 2024 vintage may be the most articulate version yet: a wine that wears its Walker Bay origins and Breedekloof accents proudly, while remaining unmistakably Solms-Delta.
