The Northern Rhône region in France is considered the birthplace of Syrah and home to the world's best expressions of the grape's full-bodied, savoury elegance, reaching its greatest heights in the sought-after wines of the Côte Rôtie area.
So, when an internationally respected critic like UK Master of Wine Tim Atkin refers to a wine as "a South African Côte Rôtie", it's worth sitting up and taking notice.
Atkin gave this description, and a 90-point score, to La Bri Syrah 2018 in his annual SA Special Report in 2021.
Winemaker Irene de Fleuriot shares this information during a tasting almost as an aside, clearly but quietly proud of the achievement because her intention all along was to pay tribute to the distinctive Côte Rôtie style.
Does La Bri's French Huguenot heritage and location in Franschhoek somehow inspire the French style and quality of the wine?
Who knows, and not being an expert on French wines, all I can say is that this is a genuinely gorgeous wine — velvety, voluptuous and seductive.
There's an amazingly intense dark purple colour, and abundant perfume of thyme, lavender, violets and spice, the characteristic white pepper of Rhône Syrah appearing later on the nose and palate as the wine opens up.
The herbal notes lend a sense of wildness (think walking along a fynbos-covered mountain path) along with savoury, smoky, gamey notes underlying the brightness of ripe red fruit, suggestive of pairings with herby roast lamb or game.
As with the wines of the Northern Rhône, it has a dash of Viognier boosting the floral and herb notes, just 3% "otherwise it takes over like a wild flower" Le Fleuriot says.
The bonus is that the La Bri Syrah, which incidentally also has 4.5* in Platter's, will set you back just R170, compared with Côte Rôtie with a starting price of about R500 and reaching up into the many thousands.
The estate's biggest seller is La Bri Merlot (the latest vintage, 2018, is about R140), a full-on fruity Merlot, juicy with red and black fruit, a touch of spice.
It is aged mostly in older wood so that the fruit character comes first, while the wood influence lends structure in the background.
La Bri Affinity 2017 (±R170) is made only in years when the winemaker believes the components of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot are in "perfect affinity with one another".
That is literally the sense one gets from the wine, all elements working in balance and harmony — the power of Cabernet Sauvignon tamed by the softer Merlot, Cab Franc adding freshness and acidity, and the perfume and subtlety of Petit Verdot rounding it all out.
It's a powerful wine, and great value too — chewy and juicy, balancing bold fruit with oak and cedar spice, the graphite and leafy-herbal notes of a Bordeaux-style blend.
Full-bodied and well-rounded, enjoyable now, especially if you let it breathe a bit first, and will definitely age with distinction.
