New
75cl
Mabalel Pinot Noir 2021 Crystallum
Vendor code : 313
Crystallum specialises exclusively in Burgundian grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, working under ideal conditions in and around the Walker Bay region. The approach to winemaking involves minimal intervention: only local yeasts are used for fermentation. These wines can be described as the true doppelgangers of Burgundy in the most positive sense of the word.
Color
Red
Fortress
14%
Country
South Africa
Region
Walker Bay
Grape
Pinot Noir
Producer
Crystallum
Vintage
2021
The vineyard is situated on a farm called 'Kaaimansgat', which translates to "Crocodile's lair", and it is located alongside a river. The vineyard is positioned at an altitude of 700m and is encompassed by striking mountains, some of which are often covered in snow during the winter season. This vintage offers a striking contrast to its high-altitude vineyard location with its prominent fruit flavors. Alongside the familiar flavors of orange peel, tomato leaf, soy, and white mushroom, this year's vintage introduces a rich flavor profile of blackcurrant and cured meats. The tannins are supple, indicating the absence of a whole-bunch component in the winemaking process.
Crystallum Winery, established in 2007 in the Walker Bay region, is a small, privately owned family winery. The owners, brothers Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson, are third-generation Finlayson winemakers and sons of the man who first started growing Pinot Noir in South Africa's Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Andrew studied architecture and Peter-Allan studied philosophy and economics at the University of Stellenbosch. But winemaking "pulled" the brothers back into the family cellars. Peter-Allan Finlayson - "a gentle giant with a great sense of humor, determined and simple, a great guy" - became the company's head winemaker. Cristallum's first wine was a Sauvignon Blanc, produced in 4,134 bottles. The brothers expanded their wine selection in 2008 to include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, leading to Crystallum now exclusively crafting wines from these specific Burgundy grapes. "We aim to produce classic wines in a new world context that reflect the traditional, age-old way of working combined with the new vineyards whose fruit we use in our work," say the Finlayson brothers.
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