Kreef

With every new vintage release from Sakkie Mouton, you just never know what to expect other than that the boundaries of quality, texture and complexity will once again be pushed a little further as he learns from every consecutive vintage put in bottle. Undoubtedly, the Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc from Koekenaap, which in 2018 was his first wine produced, is now in 2023 nearing a point where the vision for his individual Weskus terroir style is starting to be cemented into something quite substantial and lasting. I probably say it every vintage, but this 2023 for me represents the finest and most grown-up expression of the Crayfish cuvee produced to date.

The 2023 Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin blanc was harvested on two separate dates, the 9th of February and the 16th of February, as the vineyard in Koekenaap ripens in two distinctive stages. Grapes were hand harvested early in the morning, then taken to a cold room and cooled down for one night. The next day the grapes were whole bunch pressed in a membrane press, with the juice being taken to a stainless steel tank for natural cold settling and no enzymes were added except for a little sulphur. Clear juice was racked off the next day into a stainless steel tank and some 500 litre barrels for natural Fermentation to start. Fermentation took about 40 days to complete. Afterwards, all the finished wine was moved to old 500 litre barrels to age for a further 10 months on their gross lees before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. No malolactic fermentation took place.

Sakkie Mouton Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Koekenaap, 13.2% Abv.

3.4g/l RS | 7.3g/l TA | 3.16pH

Already in its sixth vintage, this new Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2023 once again pushes the boundaries of intensity, clarity, and purity of characterful Weskus Chenin Blanc fruit sourced from the unique Koekenaap coastal vineyards located about five kilometres from the cold Atlantic ocean on well drained Sandstone soils. This latest release shows a wonderfully complex aromatics of taut lime peel, freshly grated green apple, white blossom, apricot pip, fresh fennel leaf, and a subtle hint of under ripe green pears. The evolution of the Crayfish style is most evident in the way Sakkie has learnt to tame the Weskus briney maritime rock salt salinity and integrate it into a more complete, classy, layered expression while retaining plenty of liquid minerality and the kelpy, nori seaweed nuances. The larger format 500 litre oak barrels also seem to bring out the very best characteristics of the Chenin Blanc fruit, exposing a more glycerol, textured mid-palate packed full of pithy lime peel, white peaches, and savoury apple notes. This wine is not only one of Sakkie’s finest whites bottled to date, but also one of the most delicious and mouthwatering whites I have drunk all year. My admiration for this young winemaker grows with every subsequent vintage release! Well done Sakkie. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Sakkie Mouton wines are imported into the UK by South African fine wine specialist Museum Wines and are available strictly subject to allocation for circa £39 per bottle.

With only a third of 2020 ticked off on the calendar and a very uncertain next six months lying ahead, I thought that the 29th March would be the perfect moment to release my initial review for Sakkie Mouton’s second vintage of Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc. Happy Birthday Sakkie!

Sakkie and I met up in Stellenbosch in mid February to taste the second edition of this cult Chenin Blanc from Koekenaap near Vredendal, made from a 25 year old vineyard with fruit from the same site as the 2018 maiden vintage.

What a journey it has been. With the sell-out 2018 turning heads, blowing minds and agitating the bureaucrats, the anticipation (and pressure) on Sakkie surely grew every day as the 2019 harvest approached. But a valuable stint in Oregon from June to the end of November at Carlton Winemaker Studio winery undoubtedly added to Sakkies further winemaking experience and overall maturity.

The 2019 vintage Chenin Blanc grapes were taken in a lot earlier than 2018 resulting in an acidity of 8.2 versus 7.2 for the 2018 grapes.

Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2019, 12.5 Abv. (Barrel Sample)

While still super youthful and vibrant, this Chenin Blanc expresses itself as boldly and characterfully as the incredible maiden release 2018. There are beautiful notes of crystalline white peach, green melon draped in salty Parma ham, white citrus, hard fig and saline sea breeze notes. On the palate, the alka seltzer spritzy minerality comes to the fore, shining brightly and melting beautifully into a subtle leesy white granitic wet stone mineral austerity tempered by a plush mid palate richness of yellow orchard fruits, wet straw and a mouth watering tart linear line of acidity, finishing with the most incredible intensity and saline persistence. This wine will tighten up further in bottle, but I envisage this 2019 offering an incremental generosity, concentration and finely textured mouthfeel. I am smitten yet again!

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Post Script – We finished off the tasting with three new unfinished components who’s end destinations are still undecided. An interesting but characterful 2020 Chenel from Vredendal, a 2020 Palomino from Lutzville and then an incredible, unusual, highly expressive Chenin Blanc from a vineyard in Vredendal planted in 1989. More exciting treats from talented Sakkie Mouton coming soon.