Pierre and his Giant Periwinkle

 

The boutique winery of Giant Periwinkle, in Bredasdorp, is making a Fume Blanc, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir and a Syrah. Sadly their impressive Malbec is a thing of the past. I popped in a few weeks ago (at the cellar at Zoetendal) and was lucky enough to meet Pierre Rabie and to taste the reds out of a few Romanian and French barrels. There was a really interesting barrel variation (even with the same grapes and same french oak barrels) and the Syrah was amazingly accessible with great fruit, zingy white pepper and a hint of saltiness. A great example of the cool climate Syrah's this part of the world is capable of.