I’ve “known” the owner of Seven Springs, Tim Pearson, for a few years now. When I say “known” , I mean that I only know him via the interweb magic that is Twitter. It’s funny how a bit of interaction can go along way.

I tweet a lot as @TheWinesleuth and the savvy winemaker/producer will be sure to have his or her eye out on all social media channels, not just twitter.

Tim is one of those kinds of people. It stands to reason, as Tim is a businessman who made his money in the cleaning business here in England before turning his attention to his passion for wine and wine making. He and his wife, Vaughan, decided to try their hand at winemaking after a trip to the vineyards of South Africa.

They chose a great spot near Hermanus in the Western Cape. The vineyard is very well situated, between between the Shaws Mountain to the north and the Teslaarsdal Mountain Range to the south, with Walker Bay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond these mountains. There is some maritime influence and the soil of the region is mostly shale which makes for some fantastically mineral-driven wines.

Tim sent me a bottle of their Seven Springs 2010 Syrah to try the other day. I have to admit that I always try South African wines with a bit of trepidation but Tim’s Syrah is a beauty. At first it was quite smoky on the palate but this is due to the 12 months is spends in oak. After awhile though, the fruity character of the wine begins to peek through and it becomes an altogether much more enjoyable wine to drink. It’s a smooth operator that’s for sure, going down way too easy for its 14% alcohol level. The 2010 still had loads of fruit on the palate on the finish. I think this wine could easily last another few years.

The Syrah is available from Proteus Wines and retails for around £12.50