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Keermont Vineyards is a farm located in a back valley outside of Stellenbosch, ZA. The name comes from Keerweder, which is the name of the former farm. A keerweder is a dead end in a valley - it literally translates to 'blocked again', as the early settlers were blocked by the terrain when they tried to pass through the valley. The winery and vineyards are located in the shadow of Guardian Peak (official name is Suurberg). The mountain fruit here is similar to the grapes grown at the Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley.
KEY POINTS ON KEERMONT VINEYARDS
- Keermont Vineyards is a family-owned boutique wine estate.
- Keermont is situated in naturally-formed amphitheatre in the mountains above Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- They produced their first wines in a dis-used spring water bottling shed on the farm in 2007, before converting it into a small winery.
- All grapes used in their wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. They are fermented, matured and bottled in the winery.
- They have a total of 72 acres of vines. Small parcels are harvested by hand and fermented separately in order to produce wines with complexity & depth.
- They follow a natural and traditional winemaking philosophy – (indigenous yeast fermentation, no adjustment to acid or alcohol, maturation in seasoned oak barrels, bottling by hand without filtration).
- Certified “Sustainable farming & winemaking practices”.
- They currently produce about 3500 cases (9Ltr) per year.
Keermont Vineyards' history can be traced back to 1694 when Jan Jac van Dyk owned most of the land in the Blaauwklippen Valley, including the land where Waterford, Dornier and Stellenzicht Wine Estates are found today. His is the earliest record of a European landowner using this area for agricultural purposes. After Jan Jac van Dyk, many landowners, realizing the potential and beauty of the Blaauwklippen Valley, moved into the area and gradually the land was divided and sold off as separate farms.
In 2003, the Wraith family moved to the Western Cape from Gauteng and bought Fleurfontein as well as Keerweder III. These two farms are now farmed as one Estate known as Keermont Vineyards. Mark and Monica Wraith currently live on Keermont Vineyards with their family.
2005 saw the start of a major vineyard planting program on lands that had been fallow for a number of years. The planting program is now complete with nearly 27 ha under vine. In 2010, a spring water bottling plant, which had been built on Fleurfontein by Graham Boonzaier, was converted into a fully functional winery complete with offices, tasting room, processing facilities and barrel rooms.
Total farm acreage is 157 hectares (388 acres) with 30 hectares under vine.
- 20 hectares Red varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah
- 10 hectares White varietals – Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier
Some of the Chenin Blanc vines are forty plus years old and are used by De Trafford winery.
The owner is businessman Mark Wraith and the wine maker is Alex Starey. No fining or filtration is practiced at this estate. The first release vintage of 2007 yielded a tiny crop of five barrels or about 108 cases (12/750ml size).
The philosophy in the vineyards tends towards the natural rather than the scientific. They aim to create wines that reflect the beautiful place from which they come and the particular year's vintage conditions. For this reason, they try to use less chemical fertilizers, fewer pesticides and to irrigate as little as possible. They hope to achieve natural, well-balanced vineyards that ultimately yield better quality wines
The goal of this estate is to make superior blends. The wines to be produced, but not written in stone, are:
A) Keermont Red – 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 20% Syrah.
B) Keermont White – 70% Chenin Blanc, 30% Viognier and Chardonnay
C) Dessert wine in exceptional vintages
D) Keermont Syrah – Syrah, Mourvedre, Viognier
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"Alex Starey is one of the new breed of Stellenbosch winemakers. I am considering asking the South African authorities to do a selection massale of Alex, maybe take graftings from his hair, in order to create new winemakers that can be distributed across the region. Seriously though, Alex has really put Keermont on the map in recent years with a succession of superb Rhône blends. I asked him whether there has been any recent changes. "We have planted Roussanne and Marsanne recently," he told me. "That is the only major change. The first crop will be 2017 and the idea is to eventually add them into the Terrasse. The 2014 Terrasse was a bigger vintage in terms of production than normal. Predominantly 30% of fruit comes from the old Riverside block and is supplemented with Chenin Blanc from Low Ride and a new plot - Bobbejaan vineyard, which apparently the baboons still love. They still eat a few grapes. Chardonnay will come in next year from the old terraces that were farmed in the 1970s. I've been trying to capture the freshness, so I had to pick quite quickly in 2014, but we can't push it too far." Needless to say, these are outstanding wines that do the reputation of Stellenbosch no harm at all, attesting to the quality of their terroir. - Neal Martin."
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (November 2015), 92pts
Go To Keermont Riverside Chenin Blanc
The Keermont Syrah 2014 has a warm strawberry red colour. It has an enchanting bouquet of violets, dusty sandal wood and a hint of spicy red fruit. The palate is elegant and soft, and has a clean linear acidity. It has a strong floral character with spicy red fruit and hints of cherry sherbet. The tannins are dusty and dry and the wine has a long earthy herbal finish. Drink 2017 - 2026.
folder Click Here for List of Downloadable Documents.
| Item Number | Unit | Units/Case | Type | UPC - bottle | SCC - case | SRP/Unit |
| SA0CC2450--SYM | 1.5L | 1 | Glass | 7 84585 01590 0 | 1 07 84585 01590 7 | $85.00 |
| SA0EE245025SYM | 750ml | 6 | Glass | 7 84585 01378 4 | 1 07 84585 01378 1 | $39.95 |
KEERMONT SYRAH 2014 is a blend of three different Syrah vineyard sites growing on Keermont Vineyards: Steepside Syrah: Growing on a North facing slope in deep, red clay-rich soils; this vineyard generally produces powerful full bodied wines with rich, spicy flavours. Topside Syrah: An unirrigated west facing vineyard planted at 400m above sea level on rocky sandstone-based soil. Topside Syrah is usually a more aromatic wine with good structure and natural acid. Sweetwater Syrah: Situated in a rocky valley below the Fleurfontein spring, this is the coolest of the three Syrah sites and ripens the latest. Sweetwater Syrah is normally lighter and elegant in style with a herbal aroma.
All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. Small parcels of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. This process is carried out gently and naturally in open top fermenters using traditional methods only. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 500 and 225 Litre French oak barrels before being bottled by hand without filtration on 3 December 2015. We produced 14116 bottles and 104 magnums.
Vintage Report: The Keermont Syrah 2014 has a warm strawberry red colour. It has an enchanting bouquet of violets, dusty sandal wood and a hint of spicy red fruit. The palate is elegant and soft, and has a clean linear acidity. It has a strong floral character with spicy red fruit and hints of cherry sherbet. The tannins are dusty and dry and the wine has a long earthy herbal finish. Drink 2016 - 2026.
Lab Analysis:
Alc: 14.65 %
pH: 3.75
TA: 4.9 g/L
RS: 2.0 g/L
TSO2: 100 mg/L
VA: 0.65 g/L
"Three different sites on the Keermont farm - Steepside, Topside and Sweetwater - supply grapes for this intense, yet subtly oaked Syrah. Scented, spicy and refined, it has classic pepper grinder notes, sweet red fruit and a hint of black olive. 2018-24"
- Tim Atkin (South Africa 2017 Special Report), 94 pts
- Tim Atkin (SA Special Report, September 2016), 93 pts
"A ripe, lush style, with warm raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry confiture flavors gushing forth, backed by black licorice and singed apple wood notes. Has the spine for balance, but this is aimed at the fruit-bomb crowd. Drink now through 2020. 466 cases made."
- Wine Spectator (September 2016), 91 pts
"The 2011 Syrah spent 24 months in second and third fill French barrels, 225-liters and 500-liters in size with just one barrel new. It offers a glorious bouquet with precocious but beautifully defined black cherries and blueberry fruit interlaced with dried violets. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, marine-influenced entry. The tannins are taut and frame this symmetrical Syrah that ends with an elegant, spicy and saline finish that begs the imbiber to take another sip. Overall this is another superb effort from Keermont. Drink 2014-2020. - NM"
eRobertParker.com (Issue# 209, October 2013), 91 pts
"Sweet vanilla aroma. Sweet blueberries on the palate. Dense, chewy tannins. Ambitious rather than refined, I thought at first. Masses of flavour and lots of structure but has a redeemingly dry texture that makes you stop and re-evaluate. Great potential for complexity and very long."
Jancis Robinson (South Africa's Next Generation, May 7th 2013),
"Alex told me that a storm deprived them of 40-50% of the Syrah crop, which ended up concentrating the wine. Just eight barrels were produced of the 2010 Syrah, which includes a new high altitude vineyard that may be bottled separately in the future. It has an intriguing bouquet that demands coaxing from the glass. It is worth the wait, for eventually you are rewarded with blackberry, iodine, mint and fresh prune that is exotic and yet very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, tight-wound tannins. There is a touch of spice infusing the dark plum fruit, the used oak remaining well behaved in the background and allowing the fruit to express itself. It offers an enticing bitter edge on the finish that compels you to take another sip. Drink 2013-2020. Keermont was one of the most impressive Stellenbosch wines that I encountered during my trip last year – once I could entice winemaker Alex Starey away from his surfboard. Fortunately, when not riding waves he continues to find time making his superb wines."
eRobertParker.com (Neil Martin, Issue# 204, December 2012), 93 pts
"A dark, engaging, juicy style, with lots of blackberry, bramble, crushed plum and singed anise notes. This is layered with toast and espresso, displaying drive and sharp definition. Drink now through 2016.—J.M."
Wine Spectator (May 31st 2013), 92 pts
"Good dark ruby-red. Captivating if restrained aromas of blackberry, smoked meat, pepper and herbs. Not especially fleshy but spicy and aromatic in the mouth, with a black fruit confiture flavor complicated by a touch of dried berries. Still rather youthfully tight, finishing with substantial dusty tannins and lingering perfume."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Issue #168, May/June 2013), 89 pts
