West Coast

Another Incredibly Eye-catching Chenin Blanc from Sakkie Mouton – Tasting the New Release Revenge of the Crayfish 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Joins the Cape Race to Produce the Top Assyrtiko White Wine in South Africa – Tasting the New Olifantsrivier Assyrtiko 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

One of the unexpected results of the global growth in the popularity of the white Assyrtiko grape, has been a growing number of maverick producers in wine regions around the world that have planted this cultivar either as a playful homage to the original expressions of Santorini and mainland Greece, or as an experimental cultivar to study its capacity in mitigating against the effects of global warming and diminishing water supplies available to agriculture. So far in South Africa, three names have led the quality charge, namely Gary Jordan at the Jordan Estate in Stellenbosch, the Mullineuxs at the Roundstone farm in the Swartland, and Eden Sadie in the Paardeberg, though his grapes are sourced from far north up the West Coast. Now, finally there is a fourth pretender to the throne… Sakkie Mouton Family Wines.

The 2023 Olifantsrivier Assyrtiko is part of wunderkind Sakkie Mouton’s exploration into the new and exciting varietals that are available in the West Coast area, which has some of the most extreme growing conditions in South Africa. This wine was also made to showcase how new and more drought tolerant cultivars can withstand the tough conditions of the West Coast with its diminishing water supplies. The grapes for this 2023 Assyrtiko were picked early in the morning to help preserve freshness, and then cooled down before being crushed the following morning. After stems were removed, the grapes were taken to an old basket press where they were slowly and gently foot trodden so as not to extract too much astringency from the Assyrtiko’s skin phenolics.

Tasting with Sakkie Mouton up the West Coast in March 2023.

The juice was then taken straight to an old 228-litre barrel where natural fermentation started after two days. Fermentation lasted for about three weeks with a cooling jacket fixed to the barrel to keep temperatures at a steady 18C. The wine was aged for 8 months on its gross lees before being bottled unfiltered and unfined with no malolactic fermentation occurring.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Olifantsrivier Assyrtiko 2023, WO Olifantsrivier, 12.61% Abv.

3.3g/l RS | 7.5g/l TA | 3.17pH

The vineyards for this exceptional young white wine were only planted in 2021 on silty soils 25 kilometres from the Atlantic ocean. But this second crop has yielded a small quantity of white wine that is quite miraculous in its quality, character and intensity for such young vines. The aromatics are wonderfully true to form for Assyrtiko typicity with layer upon layer of stony, dusty minerality together with delicate hints of white flowers, lime blossom, and fresh kelp on the seashore, before notes of dried herbs, pear and oyster shell. The seductive maritime theme continues on the palate which is deliciously tart, bright and electric displaying notes of white peach, green apple, tart lime peel, and an incredibly potent coastal salinity. For years critics have hypothesized what Assyrtiko would taste like if planted up the barren Wes Kus which yields whites and reds with such a notable salinity, minerality and accompanying umami characteristics. Well, with this new release, now we all know! Such stony intensity, freshness and salinity really does baffle the senses and makes the mind wonder what quality heights might be possible when the vines are older. For now, we can only enjoy the vibrancy and brightness of what is an exceptionally well managed ‘halo crop’ from young vine Assyrtiko. Drink it now on release and over the next 2 to 3 years ideally.

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

Note: It is my understanding from Sakkie that a small quantity of the Assyrtiko was used to blend into his 2023 Full On Misfit White Blend and then the remaining wine, circa only 180 bottles, were bottled as a single cultivar wine and commercially only made available to the Asian-fusion Japanese themed fine dining restaurant FYN in Cape Town. As it is tourist season in the Cape, I have already had two people report back on drinking this exceptional Assyrtiko there by the glass, which by all accounts killed it with the tasting menu. If you are in the Cape, do track it down, else keep your patience and hopefully we will see subsequent vintages made available for export in years to come.

Sakkie Mouton Captivates Collectors and Connoisseurs with his Maiden Release Red – Tasting the Dawn of the Salty Tongues Syrah 2022…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This maiden release red is certainly a big deal for Sakkie Mouton. Having worked so hard with his past vintages of white wine releases since 2018 to cement a solid unwavering reputation for characterful terroir driven Wes Kus quality, an incremental amount of attention to detail has gone into this maiden release 100% Syrah to make sure it impresses.

The label, as Sakkie tells me, “is a reference to the rise of the West Coast as a new wine region and showcases divers picking grapes under the ocean, which contributes to the salty taste on the palate.” The label of course also refers to the “salty tongues” of the hard-working Wes Kus farmers, miners, grape growers, labourers and fishermen – a very hardy bunch who are known to speak often using some rather colourful language.

The grapes for the 2022 Syrah were picked early in the morning and chilled before fermentation using 30% whole bunches in open top fermenters. Fermentation started after three days of cold soaking and lasted for around two weeks with pump overs three times per day. After fermentation, the wine was racked into one 500 litre and one 300 litre barrel for ageing for around nine months. The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined with a small addition of sulphur.

Another mesmerising wine from Sakkie Mouton.

I have tasted this wine four times since its birth – once in tank, once in barrel and then again twice in the form of a finished bottling, and each opportunity has left me feeling completely exhilarated as I saw the wine evolve and progress. The final offering is certainly something to behold, revealing beautifully perfumed aromatics so redolent of the fragrant Northern Rhone Syrahs that Sakkie often finds himself fawning over at tastings.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Dawn of the Salty Tongues Syrah 2022, WO Oliphants River, 12.94% Abv.

3.0g/l RS | 5.6g/l TA | 3.6pH

Made from 100% Syrah grapes from vines planted in 1999 on decomposed Sandstone soils 25 kilometres from the cold Atlantic ocean, the nose boasts a salty, sappy tinged perfume of rose petals, violets, and sweet lavender with underlying notes of red cherries, cranberries, tart wild strawberries, and a subtle savoury, peppery, cured meat hint accompanied by a delightful herbaceous dried herb and graphite smoky spice. The delicate maritime influences on the nose follow to a vivacious, vibrant, energetic palate that shows a suave structure with finely cultured mineral tannins all in perfect balance and harmony, being wonderfully cool, pure, and crystalline allowing the palate fruits to shine but also for the true salty, maritime influences of the West Coast to make their mark with hints of kelp, nori seaweed, salty liquorice and picante black cherry and cassis on the finish. What else can I say other than this is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new additions to the South African Syrah landscape in the past 5+ years… which is saying a hell of a lot! Drink on release to experience the wines incredible veuve and energy but be sure to bury a few in the cellar for 5 to 8+ years. Baie mooi Sakkie!!

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

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines are imported exclusively into the UK by South African fine wine specialist merchant Museum Wines and for the UK on-trade by Wood Winters.

Sakkie Mouton Releases His Third and Most Accomplished Full On Misfit White Blend 2022 to Date…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Sakkie Mouton continues to grow his cult reputation and build a quality name for himself and his rugged west coast vinous expressions, all made from some of the most unforgiving vineyard areas in the whole of the Western Cape, four and a half hours north of Cape Town. The vineyards for this specific blend were planted between 1986 and 2017 on Sandstone and silt soils between 15 and 25 kilometres from the cold Atlantic ocean.

Having spent time with Sakkie Mouton in October 2022, and then again in March 2023, before his two most recent visits to the UK, I can clearly see that the young adventurous winemaker that I met in April 2019 at Spec & Bone Restaurant in Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, to taste his maiden 2018 Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc, has matured and evolved into exactly the bright young talent that I envisaged all those years ago when I described him as “the most exciting talent since Eden Sadie hit the South African wine scene.” It is fulfilling to see Sakkie grow and prosper and especially pleasing to see how popular and collectable his wines have become, not only in South African but also in the UK, Scandinavia and further afield.

Sakkie Mouton presenting a Masterclass in London in June 2023 at the South African High Commission.

The thing about Sakkie, like Eben all those years ago, is that he is on his own mission and has never looked to mimic or copy current wine styles or wine trends in the market. Exceptional talents like Eben or Sakkie have the passion and vision to follow their own dream, their own style, and create something new and noteworthy in a saturated wine world. That is exactly what Sakkie has done with his current wine range, promoting the very best old vine fruit from the west coast and Vredendal / Koekenaap in particular, just like Eden did with the Swartland in the early noughties.

Sakkie Mouton in his Vredendal Chenin Blanc vineyard in October 2022.

The Revenge of the Crayfish 2022 review will follow soon but will sadly probably be sold out before the ink is dry. But if you hunt around, you may still be able to pick up a delicious rogue bottle of Sakkie’s Full On Misfit White Blend 2022. If all else fails, reset your metal detector and watch out for Sakkie’s first red release in September 2023 – a Koekenaap Syrah that I have tasted three times, with each consecutive encounter impressing me more and more. It’s a veritable Allemande Cornas meets Jean-Luc Jamet Cote Rotie in style. But again, you are going to have to be very quick off the mark if you want to secure an allocation. So it’s onwards and steadily upwards for Sakkie Mouton.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Full On Misfit 2022 White Blend, WO Western Cape, 12.69% Abv.

1.6g/l RS | 7.0g/l TA | 3.25pH

The Full On Misfit 2022 white blend is a wine made from four different vineyards, located near the cold Atlantic Ocean, stretching from Vredendal to Koekenaap on the West Coast. An ever-evolving blend, the 2022 consists of 54% Chenin Blanc, 22% Colombard, 18% Macabeo and 6% Muscat d’Alexandrie. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small addition of sulphur, the aromatics show a distinct perfumed floral purity with top notes of white blossom, lime leaf, lemon grass, white peach, lime peel and salty maritime notes of sea breeze, kelp and oyster shell. The palate is beautifully refined and harmonious displaying an impressively round, glycerol mouthfeel together with bright, tart, electric briny acids, sea water and savoury nori seaweed over bright, zesty citrus notes of lemon pastille, lime peel and yellow grapefruit. The nine months in barrel with regular bâtonnage broadens the palate and fleshes the wine out adding impressive texture and mid-palate stuffing. With its ingrained West Coast DNA, this wine will never be short on salinity and liquid minerality, two distinct hallmarks of all the wines Sakkie Mouton makes from these rugged Wes Kus grapes. While this is undoubtedly one of Sakkie’s most accomplished white blends to date, his experimentation looks set to continue unabated. Drink this on release after a decant and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

Wines are imported into the UK by Museum Wines and Woodwinters. Allocations are available upon request. Retail price for the Full on Misfit 2022 White Blend is circa £29.99pb.

Naude Family Wines Working in Harmony with the Superb Koekenaap West Coast Terroir – Tasting the New Release Langpad Old Vine Colombard 2022…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

Tasting with master winemaker Ian Naude can be quite a testing affair. If you are lucky enough to be invited into his inner sanctum of wine production to behold his new “babies” pre-release, he certainly keeps you on your toes. When tasting from tank or barrel, Ian appears to almost seek one’s confirmation or approval that he has not messed up the new vintage, when in actual fact, you’re normally in such awe of what you are tasting that his initial panic seems nearly incomprehensible. Ian has certainly never bottled any wine with his own name on the label that he does not think is worth its salt and this new 2022 Old Vine Langpad Colombard is no different.

Post Covid pandemic, I made my first return visit to the Cape just over two years to the day after my last visit when the travel ban to South Africa was lifted, and it was during this visit in March 2022 that I sampled the Langpad 2022 from stainless steel tank shortly after it had finished fermentation. We even filled a small PET bottle and took it home to retaste around a braai. Textural, rich, fresh, dry and utterly delicious… the new release date could not come quick enough.

The 2022 vintage was a cooler season with moderate weather conditions during harvest time that slowed down ripening and gave the vines the opportunity to develop extra flavours and colour. For Naude Family Wines, harvest was delayed by up to 10 to 14 days and the crop was around 5% lower than the 2021 vintage, but still larger than the five-year average. The old vine Colombard was harvested with good flavour and sugar ripeness, slightly lower acids but higher pH levels giving the 2022 Langpad an almost sweet-sour flavour intensity on the palate. As usual, all the requisite rugged West Coast maritime salinity and briney characteristics are present making for a true terroir expression once again.

Naude Family Wines Langpad Old Vine Colombard 2022, WO Western Cape, 11% Abv.

1.2 g/l RS | 6.6 g/l TA | 3.58 pH

I remember tasting this wine after fermentation in March 2022 and thinking that this wine was, yet again, something very special. Despite being an exceptional and intuitive winemaker, Ian Naude has continued to learn, building his old vine Colombard knowledge vintage to vintage, and in this exceptional third vintage, he has captured something very close to the true essence of this barren old vine Koekenaap West Coast vineyard that I finally visited in October 2022. For a young Colombard vintage, the 2022 seems more serious, more mineral and stonier, with less of the crème soda and green rock candy notes that initially tend to dominate the aromatics before blowing off to reveal the true coastal maritime salinity. There is a pronounced wet grey slate and petrichor note over hints of peach stone, lime blossom, rock salt and crunchy green pear. The palate is every bit as pleasing when I tasted the freshly fermented wine out of tank, with a rich, dense, glycerol mouthfeel packed full of salty white peaches, green apple, sour pear drops and a wet river pebble minerality. The lees ageing in tank has added a fabulous extra textural dimension and depth that plays synergistically to this grape variety’s true characteristics. Simply delicious. Drink this on release and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

The Naudé Family Wines are imported exclusively into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and the retail price is circa £32pb for the 2022 vintage. http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Groote Post Reaching New Levels of Quality and Acclaim with Their 2022 Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Groote Post has always been best known for its coastal Sauvignon Blanc but in recent years its other wines notably their Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Noir have gained greater recognition from international critics. But it is undoubtedly the Seasalter white blend that seems to garner the most column inches in the wine press. As the story goes, it all happened with owner, Nick Pentz back in 2013, when on one of his regular wine marketing trips to the UK, he visited the tiny mediaeval village of Seasalter, which had been a local centre for salt production in the Iron Age. He immediately fell for the quaint name which resonated with the harsh, barren conditions on the Cape West Coast which is battered by the cold Atlantic Ocean. As Nick says… “one way or another, I was determined that I would use this name on a Groote Post wine one day.”

With the Groote Post winemaker Lukas Wentzel regularly experimenting with Sauvignon Blanc, partial oaking, and the addition of Semillon, the Seasalter blend was a wine just waiting to happen. So in the 2015 vintage, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon was assembled for bottling. The Seasalter is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon with 30% of the Sauvignon Blanc fermented and aged for 8 months in 300 litre French oak barrels. The remaining components were fermented in stainless steel tanks and left on the fine lees until bottling.

Groote Poste Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon 2022, WO Darling, 13.47% Abv.

This is a delicious West Coast wine that has been earning itself a solid reputation over the past few years. Made in the Darling Hills, just 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the cool breezes help keep the temperature in the region down making it a perfect terroir for its blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc with 10% Semillon added to give a bit of richness and extra textural weight. On the nose there are enticing notes of white peach, green apple, freshly cut pears, white citrus, yellow grapefruit zest and a subtle sea spray salinity. The palate is equally captivating with delicious layers of unripe tangerines, passionfruit, yellow citrus, creamy lemon, Granny Smith apples, and yet more maritime coastal salinity. This 2022 is pitch perfect with the Sauvignon Blanc doing all the heavy lifting and the Semillon playing a supporting role in adding palate texture and extra herbal complexity. The touch of oak ageing is almost imperceptible but leaves a subconscious imprint of creaminess and savoury depth. I taste the Seasalter, Groote Post’s highly acclaimed flagship Sauvignon Blanc, every year and I can say with certainly that they have absolutely nailed it with this 2022 release. Drink now on release or cellar for extra complexity for 3 to 5+ years.

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

Wines available to the UK trade from Hayward Bros and retails for circa £16.99-£17.99 per bottle.

A Seminal Vintage in the Crayfish Journey – Tasting Sakkie Mouton’s 4th Chenin Blanc Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

After a two year absence from the Cape, I promised myself that I’d do a little West Coast road trip when I next visited the winelands. With a lot of help from Ian Naudé, this trip came to fruition in March 2022, beginning by collecting Sakkie Mouton in Malmesbury before heading up the coast. We stopped for an incredible Wes Kus lunch at the Wolfgat restaurant and this is where I first tasted Sakkie’s 2021 Full On Misfit as well as a recently bottled Crayfish 2021.

As both bottles were consumed with the incredible Wolfgat tasting menu, I obviously had a pretty good idea what I was in for when Sakkie sent me a finished, labelled and waxed bottle of the Revenge of the Crayfish 2021 to reassess in the more neutral surrounds of London.

Tasting with Sakkie Mouton at the Wolfgat Restaurant in Paternoster.

The vineyards for the Crayfish Chenin Blanc are located on well-drained sandy soils, about five kilometres from the cold Atlantic ocean, which receive a constant cooling effect from the sea that moderates the temperatures in this warm coastal region.

Confident and self-assured… Sakkie Mouton and the Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2021!

Grapes were hand harvested early in the morning, then taken to the cold room and cooled down for one night. This was done before being whole bunch pressed in an old basket press, followed by settling for twelve hours without any addition of enzymes except for a little Sulphur. The clear juice was then racked off and taken to 3rd and 4th fill 228L and 400L barrels as well as a batch fermented in stainless steel. Natural fermentation ensued for four weeks. After fermentation was completed the lees was regularly stirred once a week for eight months. Post fermentation carried out over a period of eight months on the gross lees before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Koekenaap, 12.93% Abv.

1.1 g/l RS | 7.5 g/l TA | 3.11 pH

The refinement of this 2021 Chenin Blanc must surely represent a seminal moment in the evolution of the Crayfish Blanc. All the tell tale signs of the ‘Wes Kus’ are evident on the nose with multiple waves of maritime sea breeze, kelp on the beach and rock salt that combine with distinctly savoury, leesy biscuit nuances, waxy Granny Smith apples, yellow grapefruit citrus and wet stone mineral complexity. The beautiful palate shows noticeably extra textural depth and breadth compared to earlier vintages but also incredible intensity and piercing fruit concentration. There are notes of white citrus, tangerine peel, tart green apples, tangy lemon cordial and subtle notes of fresh litchi juice dusted with rock salt, dried fynbos herbs and nori seaweed. Fabulous precision and focus combine to make this one hell of a wine that finishes with deliciously tangy lemony acids and a pronounced saline white citrus fruit persistency. This is next level Chenin Blanc in my book that celebrates its own unique sense of place together with a maturing winemaking know-how. Simply stunning. Undoubtedly Sakkie’s best yet. Drink from release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

The legend Continues – Tasting the New Release Revenge of the Crayfish 2020 Chenin Blanc…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Sakkie Mouton is the epitome of the classic West Coast maverick or perhaps the West Coast misfit to use his own words. But whatever descriptives you use to describe his unique brand of winemaking and marketing, there is no denying this young man’s incredible talent, passion and vision. Almost uniquely, despite his enviable and obvious rock star talents, he has never been too confident or arrogant to dismiss advice or unwilling to alter course in the name of producing the very best possible end product.

With his 2018 maiden release, I likened Sakkie’s unique talents to something I had not seen since Eben Sadie hit the South African wine scene properly in the early 2000s, at first with the Spice Route Winery and then subsequently with his own labels. Perhaps the real similarity lies in both being able to elicit something quite unique and magical from varieties and vineyards that so many before them had managed to produce merely average wines from. Who knows? The industry is lucky to have them both for sure!

“Get your Cray on… “

This new 2020 Crayfish edition was picked in two different passes through the vineyards before being fermented with wild yeast in used 228 litre barrels and aged on the gross lees for eight months. The wine was then bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal intervention.

Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2020, WO Koekenaap, 13.5% Abv.

With two vintages under his belt, Sakkie Mouton must surely have a fairly watertight idea of what he is trying to create with his unique Chenin Blanc fruit sourced from his homeland vineyards of Koekenaap up the West Coast. While super youthful and fresh, this 2020 expression does indeed display an impressive clarity and composure with wonderfully pure aromatics of crunchy green apples, pear drops, bay leaves, dried green baking herbs, lime peel and of course the signature West Coast notes of oyster shell and maritime sea breeze salinity. On the palate, there is notable concentration and depth of zippy white citrus, savoury yellow orchard fruits and a briny rock salt salinity reminiscent of river pebbles washed in sea water. Never a wine to reveal all its secrets willingly, a little more coaxing in a big Zalto glass allows the wine to show hints of orange citrus peel, a lovely fresh tangy sweet / sour acidity and yet more layers of maritime intensity. This new release might not be quite as wild and rebellious as some of Sakkie’s previous releases, but it certainly shows a growing confidence, maturity of thought, and texturally, an intricacy and purity that makes this wine very much one of his most complete creations to date. Give this white one to two years in the cellar from release before opening and then enjoy over 12 to 15+ years. Congratulations Sakkie on another distinguished wine!

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

Wines available in the UK on allocation from Vino SA and Handford Wines.

Wine Safari New Release Notes – Tasting the Ground Breaking Naude Old Vine Series Colombard 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Always at the cutting edge of winemaking and experimentation, whether it’s perfecting the Cape white blend or the use of old vines, if Ian Naude puts his mind and efforts into a new project, rest assured the results will be spectacular.

Previously inspired by not only the renaissance of Cinsault in South Africa but also more latterly, the reinvention of Cape Heritage Blends using Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, Ian has now turned his expertise back to white wine and old vines. His newest creation is the first premium old vine certified Colombard white wine to be bottled in South Africa from a majestically beautiful old vineyard hidden away up the Cape West Coast near Vredendal.

Old Vine Colombard planted in 1985

Made from vines planted in 1985, this old vine bottling of Colombard represents the beginning of new era for South African white wines where previously less lauded varieties are highlighted for their excellent potential.

Tasting the old vine Colombard from tank with Ian Naude earlier in the year pre-lockdown.

So if you are a fan of more alternative varieties like Semillon, Verdelho, Grenache Blanc, Assyrtiko and Albariño… this new old vine release from Naude Family Wines is going to bowl you over. (But act quickly as quantities produced are tiny.)

Langpad 2020 (long road) – The very first “old vine certified” Colombard produced in South Africa.

Naude Family Wines Old Vines Langpad Colombard 2020, WO Western Cape, 12.5 Abv.

This fabulous white has all the seduction and appeal you could possibly want from an old vine expression showing amplified aromatics of crunchy white peaches, green apple pastille, cream soda nuances, grated limes, crushed tangerine peels and a dusty, granitic liquid minerality. On the palate, Ian Naude has managed to coax out the most regal of the old vine Colombard characteristics, revealing an impressively linear, taut mid-palate texture, crisp crystalline green fruit notes and a clarity as pure as freshly driven snow. With just enough glycerol weight and acid effervescence, this wine will not only make the perfect stand alone aperitif white but will also be a champion food matching partner with its pronounced pithy, piquant, subtly bitter lemon finish and its classic Cape West Coast bite of sea salt on the long, briney, granadilla and guava tinged finish. This wine is the taste of excitement, long hot balmy carefree summers that you don’t want to end and chilled fresh Bellini cocktails on a Cape West Coast beach. A truly evocative wine. Drink from release or cellar comfortably for 3 to 8+ years.

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

One Of The Most Exciting Talents Since Eben Sadie Hit The Wine Scene – Tasting Sakkie Mouton’s Revenge Of The Crayfish Chenin Blanc 2018…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 6 Comments

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to taste some of the world’s greatest wines on a daily basis. Occasionally I even get to sit down with some of these talented winemakers of said wines and drink a few bottle in a relaxed convivial environment. Which is why I often try and visit the premier winemaking college Elsenburg to share my experiences with the highly talented resident students. You just never know where and when these young stars are going to surface in the future landscape of the global wine industry.

Well, one of these ex-students has indeed just risen from the frothy surf of the commercial winemaking world of Stellenbosch. Hailing from Vredendal originally, Sakkie Mouton was born and bred up the west coast and went to school locally there before moving to Elsenburg college to study winemaking. Now aged 27, Sakkie graduated from Elsenburg in 2014. 

Sakkie Mouton, an exceptional raw young talent! The label gets its name from Sakkie’s passion for west coast crayfish diving.

While working at the Muratie winery for the past few years, Sakkie has become obsessed with making his own wines sourced from vineyards near his homelands of Vredendal. Finally his vision and dreams have met reality after making his maiden release white wine… which for me is one of the most profound Chenin Blancs produced in South Africa since Eben Sadie conjured up Skurfberg and Skerpioen in his old vine series.

Sourced from a single block from a grower based in Koekenaap, a small hamlet 20 to 25 kilometres north west of Vredendal up the west coast, the vines are already around 12 years old and just starting to come into their prime.

This single block was picked at 22 balling in order to show a clean, fresh, natural acidity with the grapes being destalked and destemmed before fermentation in barrel with natural yeasts for approximately three weeks. There was no skin contact. Post ferment, there was no racking and the wines were left on their gross lees for eight months with some batonage for the first two weeks. If there was any chance of reduction during fermentation, they performed a delistage into a fibreglass vats before returning the wine to barrel with its lees.

The wine was bottled directly from gross lees in barrel with only a 30 micron rough filtration. There was no cold or protein stabilisation. Bottled on the 10th November 2018. Only 370 bottles were produced.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines, Revenge of the Crayfish 2018, WO Western Cape, 13.5 Abv.

Tasted initially from both a Burgundy bowl glass and a white Chablis style Riedel, the aromatics are markedly different as I expected but are fascinating nevertheless. The Burgundy Montrachet-style bowl emphasises the lifted primary fruit notes of green melon, waxy green apples and crunchy green quince. But it is only in the Chablis-style small bowl glass where the true depth and mineral focus is revealed. Wow, the tart yellow bruised orchard fruits notes are firmly grounded by the most incredible granitic minerality, wet river pebble umami nuances and a sublime crystalline purity that really starts to speak boldly on the palate. With impressive energy and tart vibrant acids, one is so captivated by the intensity of saline green apple, tart yellow plum, fynbos spice and again, more and more wet slate and river pebble minerality. A fascinating wine that is incredibly precise, you would be wrong to think this expression is just all about freshness and minerality because the textural glycerol weight of fruit speaks volumes about the precise wine making, the superb fruit quality and the intelligent and passionate winemaking behind this cuvée. If quality like this can be repeated, future greatness and fame seems very close within reach for young Sakkie. Drink from 2020 to 2040+

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

“Probably the most exciting new comer to the South African wine scene that I have tasted since Eben Sadie, Donovan Rall and Duncan Savage!” ~ Ian Naude, winemaker and owner at Naude Family Wines.