Authentic Wine

Mick O’Connell MW and Sardinian brother-in-law business partner Gianluca Cancedda finally deliver their third release in their Garnacha winemaking journey in Sardinia. Picked on the 27th and 28th of August 2017 from 250 and 350 metre altitude organic Garnacha vineyards, the date was actually slightly earlier than the lower Abv first release 2015 and second release 2016 vintage.

2017 was indeed very hot and dry but careful berry sorting ensured raisined grapes were discarded to avoid any jammy flavours during vinification. The wild yeast fermentation used only whole bunch clusters with the juice spending four days macerating on the skins.

Garnacha not Guerra 2017, Vino Rosso, Sardinia, 14 Abv.

The colour of this riper 2017 vintage is darker, blacker and more opaque but the nose retains an impressively expressive aromatic lift of cherry blossom, sweet lavender, grilled herbs, sweet raspberry confit, crushed gravel minerality and a lick of balsamic richness. On the palate, the hallmark Garnacha not Guerra drinkability is definitely evident with bright juicy acids but within the textural context of a slightly darker, blacker, broodier berry fruit profile together with more muscular, grippy mineral tannins. All this intensity translates into a slightly more serious offering but certainly no less delicious and mouth watering. It is going to be a wonderful wine to watch evolve and mature over the next 3 to 5 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

“Craig Hawkins has long been experimenting, pushing the boundaries and finding new ways to bring us wine in its most unadulterated form.” A wonderful sound bite pinched from Roland Peens at Wine Cellar, one of Craig’s biggest retail sellers in South Africa. So it’s not surprising that his wines have an insatiable cult following among consumers, connoisseurs and sommeliers around the world primarily because the wines excel at representing site, terroir and authenticity.

‘Natural wine is simple: organically farmed at the very least in the vineyard, no added yeast or acid or tannin, in fact, nothing added except small amounts of SO2 if need be… and no fining/filtration.’ – Craig Hawkins

Testalonga El Bandito Monkey Gone to Heaven 2016, WO Swartland, 13 Abv.

This 15 year old vineyard has yielded some delicious Mourvèdre fruit from this dry 2016 vintage. But of course this variety is normally very at home with hot dry conditions and prospers successfully in the hot South of France where it needs warmth to ripen fully. This expression from the Swartland has an appealing nose of dried potpourri, black chocolate and peppermint crisp combining with aromatics of garrigue, dried herbs, thyme, sweet green peppercorns and dry fynbos. But there is also plenty of complex black berry fruit on the palate mixing with black olive tapenade, chalky mineral spice, hints of graphite and a tantalising fresh black currant herbal tea infusion on the finish. Another classic over achieving wine from Craig Hawkins. Drink now to 2028+.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)