Noble Hill Field Atlas Syrah

Noble Hill is a South African winery located on the granite soiled slopes of the Simonsberg mountain range which divides Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. This distinctive geology and the extra elevation gives the wines from this sector great balance and finesse, with several of the country’s best wineries are located around the base of this mountain.

Harvard educated Zimbabwean Kristopher Tillery returned to the family winery around 10 years ago after spending several years in the USA and began moving production towards a more contemporary and organic path. The estate is now under conversion to full organic and Kristopher has started working with wild yeasts and concrete fermentation vessels in order to impart greater character and individuality to the wines. In the medium term the aim is to move is away from his family’s previous focus on single -varietal Cabernet and Merlot, and work with largely Rhone influenced blends which he feels best express the local terroir, alongside his very successful take on South Africa’s signature white grape Chenin Blanc. This winery is on an upward curve of quality, producing wines which offer great personality and value under both their Bloem and Noble Hill labels.

Field Atlas is a field blend and co-fermentation of 90% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre & 2% Viognier. Each vineyard is carefully selected for compatibility. Each vineyard’s unique elevation, aspect, and soil gives us flexibility in creating a harmonious, cohesive, and delicate wine. 2018 was notable for dry conditions and moderate yields. The vintage shows concentrated characters, with good ripeness.

At harvest, fruit is hand-sorted, lightly crushed, and cold soaked to allow the flavours and colours in the grapes’ skins to soak into the wine gently and naturally. A significant proportion of whole clusters are added to the fermentation for partial carbonic maceration. The wine is oxygenated daily via remontage and délestage before being racked into large format concrete tanks and 225l French oak barrels at the end of primary fermentation. The wine is matured for 18 months before bottling. Redolent of fresh black cherries, liquorice, and black pepper. The wine is delicate, yet smooth and balanced. The oak is well-integrated and will age through at least 2025. Produced in respect of natural processes, thus some sedimentation may occur in bottle.