INTRODUCTION
The Liberator is the project of Richard Kelley MW, one of the most respected authorities on South African wine. The Liberator seeks out and celebrates marginalised parcels of wine which for whatever reason risk being blended and sold off in bulk. Each wine has a strong story behind it, with each release having its testimony recounted in bottle and on screen as an ‘episode’. Sourcing and creating The Francophile Syrah marked a departure for Rick who commissioned the making of this young vine Syrah, rather than liberating an existing parcel. It’s intended to be sustainable and repeatable; to be enjoyed copiously in the knowledge that it is not subject to the finite quantities imposed by The Liberator Episodes or Special Editions.
TASTING NOTES
Ask Rick which wine The Francophile Syrah most resembles and he’d probably compare it to a young Crozes-Hermitage. Full of vibrant red-black fruit and with an aromatic nose reminiscent of Saint-Joseph lilies, the result is a thrilling young red that is free of the constraints and manipulated flavour profile that come with barrel-ageing. This is a very pure and naked example of the Syrah grape. Dangerously drinkable on release, it could be expected to age for three to five years in bottle.
