‘Revenge of the Crayfish’

Chenin Blanc | Koekenaap - South Africa

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About

“Get your cray on… For those with a taste for the unusual.” The label tells you most of what you need to know here; this isn’t your usual Chenin. Sakkie’s idea behind this wine was to create something that spoke unequivocally of its provenance: the largely-unknown West Coast. The vineyards for the Crayfish are located on well-drained sandy soils, about three miles from the cold Atlantic ocean. The ocean breezes play a crucial role in keeping this wine fresh, as the climate is otherwise quite hot. As for the label, well, it’s a reference to when the crayfish start eating the humans. You know… the infamous crayfish apocalypse from that old 1950s horror movie…

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 sulfur. Half of the clear juice was then racked off and sent to stainless steel, with the remaining half going to neutral 500L barrels for spontaneous fermentation. From there, the stainless steel portion was moved to the same barrels as the other half, and the wine rested here for 9 months. Lees stirring occurred about once a week. The wine was bottled with only a small dosage of sulfur; no fining and just a coarse sheet filtration.

Stats

Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyard: Koekenaap
Vine Age: 27-years-old
Soil Type: Decomposed sandstone
Viticulture: Sustainable
Fermentation: Native — stainless-steel (50%) - neutral 500L barrel fermentation (50%)
Skin Contact: None
Aging: 9 months in neutral 500L barrels
Alcohol: 13.2%
pH: 3.1
Total Acidity: 7.2 g/L
Total SO2: 60 ppm
Total Production: 133 cases
UPC: None

Tasting Notes

This wine brings to mind the sea, with scenes of kelp drying on sandy shores and the refreshing mist of ocean spray. It carries the typical Cape Chenin waxiness, yet beautifully balances warm climate fruitiness with the cooling influence of Atlantic breezes. Tasting reveals notes of tangerine, Granny Smith apples, dried fynbos, and seaweed reminiscent of sushi. The finish is notably long-lasting, with lingering tangy acidity and a subtle hint of sea salt.

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2023

‘Revenge of the Crayfish’

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