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Sakkie Mouton Family Wines

2022

‘Revenge of the Crayfish’

Chenin Blanc   |   Koekenaap - South Africa
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

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.

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 4th-fill 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 or filtering.

 

 

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard: Koekenaap
  • Vine Age: 26-years-old
  • Soil Type: Decomposed sandstone
  • Viticulture: Sustainable
  • Fermentation: Native — stainless-steel (50%) - 4th-fill 500L barrel fermentation (50%)
  • Skin Contact: None
  • Aging: 9 months in 4th-fill 500L barrels
  • Alcohol: 13.8%
  • Residual Sugar: 1.5 g/L
  • pH: 3.2
  • Total Acidity: 7.2 g/L
  • Total SO2: 110 ppm
  • Total Production: 125 cases
  • UPC: None

Tasting Notes

This wine instantly evokes the ocean: kelp drying on sand and sea spray are the first images that come to mind. There is classic Cape Chenin waxy savoriness, but there is a nice yin-yang of warm climate fruit breadth tempered by the low pH from cooling Atlantic ocean breezes. On the palate are notes of tangerine, Granny Smith apples, dried fynbos, and sushi seaweed. It finishes long – very long – with tangy acidity lingering and a touch of sea salt.

Press & Reviews

Jancis Robinson

16.5+

"Smells like sourdough starter, salted goat’s butter, fennel pollen. Very crystalline in structure. Crunchy. Coruscating. Like focaccia. Incredibly taut acidity, high focus, high drive. Savennières-like."

- Tamlyn Currin

Producer


Sakkie Mouton Family Wines

Region


Koekenaap

Country


South Africa

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