Number four in the ten-wine Syrah flight, this one stood out instantaneously on the nose, with an incredible spicy perfume of white pepper and coriander seed. My handwritten notes say: ‘the most spicy so far… Polkadraai?’ It is so exciting that when tasting South African Syrah blind like this, from a mix of origins, the regional characteristics are now distinct. Polkadraai Hills has established itself in the last decade as the epicentre for intensely perfumed, spicy Syrah and this could only be from Polkadraai. An abundance of powder-fine tannins encased vivid red-berry fruit, with the freshness and energy at its core carrying this to a chalky, resonant finish. One of my top wines in last year’s 2015 tasting too.