The 2024 High Hopes is 94% Syrah and 6% Grenache Noir, planted on schist soils, cropped at 6 tons per hectare using 100% whole bunch, aged in used oak. It has a delectable nose with vivacious blackberry fruit tinged with Kalamata olives, precise and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with chiselled tannins, a killer line of acidity, vibrant and fresh with a sapid finish. Laser-like focus… this might surpass the brilliant `23. Stunning. 96 points

For the second year in a row, High Hopes has no Cinsault, combining Syrah and 6% Grenache instead. Fermented with 100% whole clusters, it`s a serious Swartland cuvee that has brooding density and concentration, Cornas-like flavours of damson, blackberry, liquorice and steak tartare and a waft of fynbos. 94 points