Gabrielskloof

Peter-Allan Finlayson Continues to Innovate – Tasting the Exciting New Gabrielskloof Amphora White…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

With Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum and Gabrielskloof fame winning Wine Maker of the Year in the Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2021, there has been a lot of extra attention focused on him and the spectacular wines he produces under these two quality focused wine entities.

After a long absence from the UK due to the pandemic, Peter-Allan flew into London for a speedy visit of tastings and lunches before hot footing it up to Scotland to watch the rugby world champion Springboks dismantle a Scottish team that had only just beaten Australia the week before.

At our tasting, not only did we get to try a fabulous selection of Peter-Allan’s new release wines from Gabrielskloof and Crystallum, but he also managed to squeeze in a couple of new project wines from the Gabrielskloof Bot River winery. While South Africa certainly manages to confound the world’s critics on a regular basis with the exciting quality and styles of its Sauvignon Blancs, there is always room for further innovation… and here Peter-Allan has nailed it yet again with this superb new white.

Gabrielskloof Amphora Sauvignon Blanc 2021, WO Western Cape, 13.5% Abv.

This is a very exciting new addition from the enormously talented Peter-Allan Finlayson. The wine shows an aromatic profile with incredible mineral tension and spice, dried herbs, fynbos, white peach tea and crunchy green pear. On the palate there’s a fabulously textured depth of fruit, tangy acids, layers of tangerine, green apple and a complexing stony minerality on the finish. A minimalist wine in its essence with incredible purity, crystalline depth of fruit and a wonderfully subtle pithy freshness. A real joy to drink and made in a style that will thrill devoted Sauvignon Blanc lovers as well as those preferring a more old world, less pungent expression of the grape. (Only 3,363 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Peter-Allan Finlayson Unveils Some of His New Releases from Crystallum and Gabrielskloof in London…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

Maybe it’s because Peter-Allan is the third generation of wine farmers in the Cape or maybe it’s just because he is just very intelligent, but few wine brands have been managed as professionally as Crystallum in global markets since the first Sauvignon Blanc was bottled in 2007.

Now focusing solely on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Peter-Allan was recently in London to unveil some of his new creations. But the secret of Crystallum’s massive success in London can be attributed to a combination of factors that aspiring brand owners should take note of. Firstly, he has a committed and highly professional distributor in the UK with Liberty Wines; the quality of the entire range has remained impressively high from day one; the pricing has been very constant and conservative, rising only very modestly over the past 12-13 years; this price stability and quality has built the brand a strong on-trade restaurant / sommelier following in the fine dining establishments of London.

Add this all up and you have a brand that sells out within a few months of arriving adding further to the all round collectability of the entire range.

 

Gabrielskloof Elodie 2018 Chenin Blanc, WO Swartland

Fermented and aged in old oak barrels, this is just classic intense old bush vine Chenin Blanc from two vineyards of 43 and 45 years old made in a minimalist hands off style. Oozes class and character with aromatics of fynbos, crunchy yellow orchard fruits and wet straw with an intense palate of white peach, granitic mineral spice, toasted almonds and pithy dried orange peel. Lovely definition and length. This is up there with some of the best old vine Chenin Blancs in South Africa.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

 

Crystallum Clayshales Chardonnay 2019, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5 Abv.

Another superb rendition of this single vineyard wine from Ridge fruit that perfectly captures the cool, crystalline lemon and lime pastille fruit characters of Chardonnay grown at higher altitude. There are lovely white blossom and honey suckle notes with the most subtle kiss of white toast, vanilla pod spice and white peach. Still very youthful, but already the 2019s have a very impressive fruit/acid balance and a wonderfully integrated, harmonious honeyed leesy finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

 

Crystallum The Agnes Chardonnay 2019, WO Western Cape, 13.5 Abv.

A beautiful expressive blend of Hemel-en-Aarde and Overberg Chardonnay fruit. The nose displays a wonderful saline, briney, taut mineral expression with notes of lime peel, lemon rind, honeydew melon and white peach. Restrained and focused on the palate entry, this is a very grown up, classy, serious Agnes that shows incredible restraint, minerality and mouth watering green apple crunch on the finish. Wow! This is so, so delicious. Crystalline pure Crystallum at its best! Bravo Peter-Allan!

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

 

Crystallum Peter Max 2019, WO Western Cape, 14 Abv.

A blend of four vineyards, three from the Hemel-en-Aarde and one high altitude Elandskloof vineyard. The nose speaks of old world Pinot Noir with classical mineral restraint, black bramble berries and earthy black currant with sweet, freshly cut straw aromatics. The palate is wonderfully crystalline and pure underpinned by a mouth watering acidity, fabulous varietal intensity, crunchy red berry energy and the most harmonious silky sleek texture. Hard to imagine how you could make a better Pinot Noir at this price point.

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

Other wines tasted:

Crystallum Mabalel 2018 Pinot Noir – 94+/100 GSMW

Crystallum Whole Bunch 2018 Pinot Noir, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 14.2% Abv.

The 2018 Whole Bunch Pinot Noir marks the second release of this initially experimental wine made from fruit sourced in the Cuvee Cinema vineyard in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and the Shaw’s Mountain Vineyard. Fermented using 100% of whole bunches, the result is possibly one of Peter-Allan’s most mesmerising creations yet. The aromatics show the best of both worlds with a delicious pure black and red berry fruit concentration, black currant compote, black cherry and red currant notes with subtle hedgerow and underbrush complexity together with the classic whole bunch nuances that offer extra sapidity and a stalky mineral spice. The whole bunch component definitely adds the extra magic that elevates this wine into the ranks of truly special New World Pinot Noirs that firmly tip their hats towards the masters of Burgundy. There is boldness and an extra confident swagger, opulence but also controlled mineral spicy restraint all packaged with an incredibly supple, seamless, harmonious tannin texture. You can drink this wine now but with the maiden 2016 still showing an incredibly youthful glow, it would be a shame not to bury some of these in the cellar for 8 to 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gabrielskloof Landscape Series Syrah On Sandstone 2017 – 96/100 GSMW

The wines were presented alongside an incredible tasting menu at newly opened Sam’s Riverside Restaurant, the new venue for the famous Sam’s Brasserie that used to be in Chiswick, West London. The food was truly outstanding and helped cap off a superb evening of fine dining and wine.

Peter-Allan with host and restaurant owner Sam Harrison.

Sam’s Riverside

1 Crisp Walk

Hammersmith

London

W6 9DN

Crystallum and Gabrielskloof are distributed in the UK by Liberty Wines.

Tasting the New Gabrielskloof Landscape Series Cabernet Franc 2017 Pre-Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

You wait for a bus for hours and then suddenly a whole tranche of them come along all at once. This is what the past few days have felt like with Cabernet Franc from South Africa. Within a matter of days, I had tasted the new Warwick Cabernet Franc 2015, the iconic Raats Family Cabernet Franc 2015, the Raats Dolomite 2016 (and sensational 5 Star Platter winner), and also the delicious new 2017 vintage from Gabrielskloof in the Bot River … due for release on the 1st April 2019.

I vividly remember reviewing the 2015 vintage a couple of years back after winemaker Peter-Allan Finlayson had given me a “clean skin” sample to taste. Of course it was a very impressive wine from a stellar red vintage and many months later, unsurprisingly, the 2015 Gabrielskloof Cabernet Franc made it into Tim Atkin MW’s South Africa Report as his “Red Wine Discovery of the Year.” The 2017 comes from the same Cabernet Franc vineyard in the Bot River region.

Tasting with Peter-Allan recently in London.

In this third consecutive drought vintage, Peter-Allan decided to do less extraction during fermentation with 20% whole bunches, so using only three pump overs (remontage) during active fermentation and thereafter a longer 23 day post-fermentation maceration followed by ageing the wine in larger 500 litre oak barrels to retain freshness and fruit expression.

Gabrielskloof The Landscape Series Cabernet Franc 2017, WO Bot River, 14.1 Abv.

Made using fruit from 16 year old vines, the 2017 has a very attractive nose displaying a super complex perfumery of black berry, tart cassis, milk chocolate and cherry liquor. Beautifully complex wine expertly balancing piercing violet fragrance and sweet sappy cedar spice with hints of boxwood, spiced meats, melted wax and eastern incense. On the palate one is struck by the wine’s lithe, sleek mid-weight silky balance, delicious blueberry and oak spice harmony together with nuances of sweet dried herbs, plum spice, another last dusting of mocha choc spice and a very fine, long, fresh lingering piquant finish. A thoroughly confident, vibrant expression of Cabernet Franc expertly delivered in a vintage shaping up to be another very impressive high quality year for both reds and whites. Drink from 2019 to 2030+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

(Wines are distributed to the trade in the UK by Liberty Wines)

A Wonderful Maiden Red Release from Thorne & Daughters ~ Tasting the Wanderer’s Heart 2016 Red Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

John and Tasha Seccombe operating out of space at the Gabrielskloof Winery have established a massive international following for their deliciously opulent white wines over the past 5-6 years. So of course … that meant it was time for a red!

This maiden vintage was released in mid-2017 and has been met with high critical acclaim internationally. So with some very expensive Welsh lamb cutlets on the menu for Sunday lunch, this red seemed the perfect match! Oh, and what a beautifully designed label.

Thorne & Daughter’s Wanderer’s Heart 2016, WO Western Cape, 13.5 Abv.

An interesting red blend made from fruit sourced from all over the Cape including 69% Voor Paardeberg Grenache, 21% Bottelary Cinsault and 10% Bot River Mourvèdre. Unfined and unfiltered, this maiden vintage red was aged in old French oak barrels to create a wine with great purity. What immediately strikes you is an intensely perfumed nose full of violets, dried cranberries, red cherries, tart red plums and hints of black raspberries. A delectable melange of peppery red and black forest berries. The palate is crunchy and fresh with a complex, textured fleshy red berry fruited weight that also reveals savoury hints of dried herbs, raspberries, cranberry coulis and a defined underlying minerality of river pebbles and chalky tannins. The acids are pure and fresh adding a vibrancy and crystallinity without being tart. Light and fresh enough to drink slightly chilled, this impressive Grenache based blend is going to seduce a lot of drinkers now and over the next 10+ years.

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