Samantha O'Keefe: tough, talented and tenacious
Lismore Estate is an extreme example of the energy and enterprise that characterises the Cape wine scene and its troubles. Sam O'Keefe, like a lot of contemporary producers started from scratch. Only she did it in an area of the Cape that wasn't even a wine region: rather a cattle area. Lismore was the driving force behind other young producers joining her there and now Greyton is a designated ward of the rapidly up and coming Overberg area. And the terroir there is amazing. Had it not been so isolated it may well have been discovered much earlier.
The Lismore portfolio hovers nicely between Burgundy and the northern Rhône with brilliant wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Viognier and Syrah and there's even the most finely crafted Sauvignon Blanc, fermented and matured in old oak that is beautifully poised between intensity and restraint. All the wines have their supporters of course, but for me it is the Syrah that carries the most magic. With a definite nod to the more elegant examples of Hermitage, this perfumed and savoury wine has fruit intensity and wonderfully managed texture, with woven tannins and a richness that is precisely cut with freshness.
Like all producers Lismore has been affected by both bans on sales of alcohol in country and a too long prohibition on exports. Unlike most, Samantha lost her home, cellar and some of her vineyard to an arson attack. She has rallied and supported by brilliant friends among South Africa's growers and by her customers is kicking towards ever greater future vintages. They definitely don't need our pity, but our support helps galvanise these already highly motivated winegrowers. /CW
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available imminently
