Savage Wines ‘Girl Next Door’

Savage Wines Girl Next Door: Coastal Syrah at Its Most Captivating

Savage Wines Girl Next Door is one of South Africa’s most distinctive expressions of Syrah. Fragrant, wonderfully fresh and produced in tiny quantities, it shows just how elegant the variety can be when grown close to the cooling Atlantic Ocean. Despite the playful name, this is a seriously impressive wine, combining dark fruit and peppery spice with a beautifully restrained, almost weightless character.

Duncan Savage established Savage Wines after spending more than a decade making acclaimed coastal wines at Cape Point Vineyards. Working from his winery in Cape Town, he seeks out exceptional vineyard sites across the Western Cape, allowing each location to shape the character of the finished wine. Girl Next Door is among his rarest and most highly regarded releases.

The Syrah comes from a tiny 0.38-hectare vineyard in Fish Hoek on the Cape Peninsula, just over three kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. Strong maritime winds and sandy, gravelly soils naturally restrict the yield, producing a small amount of intensely flavoured fruit while the cool coastal conditions preserve acidity and aromatic freshness. The vineyard is now dry farmed and produces only a very limited number of bottles each year.

Half of the fruit is fermented as whole bunches using naturally occurring yeasts before being gently basket pressed. The wine then matures for ten months in neutral vessels, including used 500-litre French oak barrels. This restrained approach adds texture without masking the purity of the Syrah or its remarkable maritime character.

In the glass, Girl Next Door is intensely aromatic, with black cherry, red berries and plum joined by violets, white pepper, wild herbs and salty black olive. The palate is medium-bodied, fluid and finely structured, with vibrant acidity and very fine, chalky tannins. Dark fruit and savoury spice are balanced by a cool mineral quality and a distinctive saline note. The finish is long, lifted and peppery, leaving an impression of precision rather than power. It is already expressive, although an hour in a decanter will allow its floral and savoury details to unfold.

Savage Wines Girl Next Door Food Pairing Suggestion:

Pair this elegant coastal Syrah with herb-roasted lamb, duck breast with cherry sauce or venison served with blackberry and juniper. Its peppery, savoury character would also be excellent with grilled aubergine, wild mushroom dishes or lentils cooked with rosemary and black olives. The wine has enough depth for richly flavoured food, while its freshness keeps every combination lively.

About Savage Wines Girl Next Door:

• Made from 100% Syrah grown in a tiny coastal vineyard in Fish Hoek.
• The vineyard lies approximately 3.2 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean.
• Fermented with 50% whole bunches and matured for ten months in neutral vessels.
• Produced in extremely limited quantities.