Bekkers

Written By Angus Hughson

2024 Bekkers Release

Emmanuelle and Toby Bekkers have forged an impressive mark on the McLaren Vale landscape through their highly skilled vineyarding and winemaking. Rather than going down the alternative grape variety route, they have harnessed the region’s magnificent heritage to build a reputation for their Bekkers brand. Their attention to detail, especially during the maturation phase, brings an extra resonance to the wines. This masterful Stradivarius-like touch is what makes these wines so graceful and special.

2022 Bekkers Grenache, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Medium deep colour. Pure dark plum, musky, dark cherry, raspberry, strawberry aromas with violet, Turkish delight notes. Supple and fleshy with lovely pure fruit flavours, slinky textures, very good mid-palate viscosity and plenty of mineral length. A sweet-fruited finish with a touch of aniseed. Classical and delicious. Drink now – 2028 15% alc 95 points

2022 Bekkers Syrah Grenache, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Deep crimson. Inky, chinotto dark plum, elderberry, blackberry aromas with hint marzipan, praline note. The palate is beautifully concentrated, with plentiful dark berry, roasted chestnut, marzipan, slightly dark chocolaty flavours, and fine slinky yet sinuous textures. Finishes chalky and minerally with chinotto notes. A superb wine. 75% Syrah 25% Grenache. Drink now – 2028 14.8% alc 96 points

2022 Bekkers Tome Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Deep crimson. Intense dark plum, blackberry pastille, dark cherry, dark chocolate, hint marzipan aromas. Classical, generous and round with dark plum, dark cherry fruits, fresh chalky/ hint grippy textures and underlying marzipan vanilla oak notes. Lovely weight, texture and flow with a crispy finish. Delicious to drink now. 63% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon 17% Grenache Drink now – 2028 14.2% alc 95 points

2022 Bekkers Syrah, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Deep colour. Impressive dark chocolate, blackberry, panforte aromas with roasted chestnut, hint marzipan notes. Generously concentrated palate with ample raspberry, blackberry confit, praline, hint Parma violet notes and supple gravelly/ chocolaty textures. Finishes firm and minerally with seductive dark berry fruits and tang of acidity. Masterful winemaking and cellar work with the oak perfectly matched to the fruit and textures.  Delicious to drink but best to keep for a year or so – 2035+ 14.2% alc 97 points

2023 Bekkers

Bekkers has become one of McLaren Vale’s star performers in recent years reflecting the perfectionism of both Toby and Emmanuelle Bekkers in their chosen fields (viticulture and winemaking respectively). Their first ‘Single Selection Release’ is a masterclass in precision and collaboration. This exceptional wine is based on a two-tonne parcel of exceptional fruit from the 1990s-planted Trueman Vineyard, a site well known for producing high quality wine. The 2021 Clarendon Syrah was partially destemmed and whole bunch- fermented to promote aromatic complexity and the character the terroir.

2021 Bekkers Clarendon Syrah foreshadows the commercialisation of another single vineyard wine. In the not-too-distant future the historic steep-sloped Clarendon Estate Vineyard, currently being reconstituted by Toby Bekkers, will once again become a feature of McLaren Vale’s fine wine scene. In the meantime, this medium-bodied and classical style is a wonderful start in the Bekkers’ quest to make prized single vineyard wines. Released at $900 per 3-bottle case.

2021 Bekkers Clarendon Syrah, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Medium deep crimson. Fragrant raspberry pastille, blueberry aromas with hints of marzipan and nougat. Graceful wine with lovely raspberry, red and black cherries, blueberry fruits, fine bittersweet/ lacy textures, superb mid-palate viscosity/ silkiness and well-integrated roasted almond, vanilla notes. Finishes al dente firm with seductive chinotto/pure fruits and long mineral/ quartz acidity. Understated yet beautifully balanced wine with impressive complexity, gentle vigour/ vinosity and flawless oak maturation. Refined and exacting wine highlighting the craft of winemaking and the longer growing season of the Clarendon sub-region of McLaren Vale. Drink 2024 – 2035+ 14.5% 97 points

Angus Hughson
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