Tembela Wines Syrah 2025

£36.00

Winner of South Africa's New Generation Winemaker of the Year 2026 Vintage on vintage, you can feel Banele gaining experience and finding his voice as a winemaker. We loved his very first wines too, but they are entering a new level that is extremely exciting and we're so happy for him. More Less

Winner of South Africa's New Generation Winemaker of the Year 2026

Vintage on vintage, you can feel Banele gaining experience and finding his voice as a winemaker. We loved his very first wines too, but they are entering a new level that is extremely exciting and we're so happy for him.

Very fine, elegant and not big and over ripe, but still possessing guts, beautiful guts! It's very much in the restrained Northern Rhone Hermitage kind of style, with fine pepper notes. The grapes come from one of the most sought after sources in Stellenbosch. Banele is getting noticed and we couldn't be happier for him - both Neal Martin of Vinous.com and Tim Atkin MW have praised his wines, and Banele was commissioned by the Tate Modern in London, to make a wine for the launch of a year of modern African art.

From the Press

Flinty reduction, dark berries, hints of olive and fynbos, and a marked pepperiness. Good fruit density, punchy acidity and firm but not coarse tannins, the finish ultra-dry. More “oomph” than ever before – a bold, unapologetic expression of the variety.

95pts, Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za

Darker fruited than the Rondavel Hills, but beautifully ripe – blackcurrants and mulberries. More minerality, running like a cool, slim rod of black stone through the spine of the wine. Tannins have plenty of muscle. Kind of both elegant and gutsy (which puts me in mind of the winemaker himself). Feels very complete.

17/20, Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com

Building on the success of the 2024 release, this is a brilliant new Syrah from rising star Banele Vakele. Blending grapes from Karibib in the Polkadraai Hills and Langverwacht in nearby Kuils River, it has perfume and structure from 80% whole bunches, subtle old wood integration, aromas of pepper and incense, lovely granitic precision and a core of blackberry and tapenade. Utterly delicious. 2027-35. 96 points. Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Special Report.

Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Special Report.

The 2025 Chenin Blanc comes from a block of bush vines planted in 1993 on granitic soil. It was made at Duncan Savage's winery, but the barrels were moved to Hazendal for maturation. This has a taut nose, fresh and quite marine-influenced with a touch of green apple and pear. The palate is fresh and focused, quite saline in the mouth, a more minimalist take on the variety with a stony, lemongrass-tinged finish. This would light up on the dinner table.

93pts, Neal Martin, Vinous

More info

Banele (pronounce Ba-nel-ee) grew up in Cape Town's largest township, Khayelitsha. He still lives there, looking after four younger siblings, after his mum died. He earned a scholarship to a Constantia high school and his classroom looked out over a vineyard, he sat there daydreaming about what life in wine would be like. He got a degree at Elsenberg Agricultural College and enrolled on the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Protégé programme, where he did stints in Burgundy, Oregon and Yarra Valley. The final stage was with Savage wines. Such was Duncan's fondness and respect for Banele as a person and winemaker, he was there for nearly 6 years, just finishing with him before Christmas to fully focus on his own project, supported and encouraged to do so by Savage himself. Banele has named his wine after his late mother, Tembela, which means faith, hope and belief. The label pays tribute to women wearing traditional Xhosa attire carrying wine barrels.

Delivery Info

Order before 2pm for evening delivery (London only)
Order before 2pm for next day delivery (Mainland UK most postcodes - Highlands 2-3 days)
Delivery is Monday to Saturday - You will be able to select a preferred delivery day/evening (London)

About the Producer:

"His wines reflect everything I met in the man: generosity, humour, intellect, joy and swagger. " Tamlyn Currin

Behind The Bottle

Country

South Africa

Region

Stellenbosch

Type

Red

Grape

Syrah

Producer

TEMBELA

Alcohol

14.0%