‘Chin Up’

Cinsault | Swartland - South Africa

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About

This wine is part of a line that Craig and Carla started in 2015. They wanted to work with vineyards that deliver wines that can be drunk young yet still “over deliver” in quality. The fruit was sourced from an organic and dry-farmed site on the Hillcrest Farm in Abbotsdale, Swartland. Craig has always seen Cinsault as a challenging grape; it’s always the last to be harvested and struggles to have the intensity he and Carla look for. However, in 2024, he feels they “turned a massive corner on this wine,” introducing an earlier picking that they blend back into the wine to give it more freshness. Two years of great rains have helped the vineyards establish a better balance to help provide the expression they’re going for.

The grapes were hand harvested and de-stemmed into open 5000L concrete tank then pressed to stainless steel for spontaneous fermentation. After 14 days of skin contact, the wine was pressed off the skins and was sent to old 3000L foudres for aging. After 12 months, the wine was blended & bottled with a gentle filtration and small sulfur addition. No fining.

Stats

Grapes: 100% Cinsault
Vineyard: Hillcrest Farm (Abbotsdale, Swartland)
Vine Age: 44-years-old
Soil Type: Red gravel and koffieklip on granite
Viticulture: Practicing organic – dry-farmed
Fermentation: Native — 100% de-stemmed into open 5000L concrete tank then pressed to stainless steel
Skin Contact: 14 days
Aging: 12 months in old 3000L foudres
Alcohol: 11.2%
pH: 3.5
Total Acidity: 5.1 g/L
Total SO2: 50 ppm
Total Production: 750 cases
UPC: 7070334463478

Tasting Notes

Bright red cherry leads the way, lifted by a subtle earthy kick. The palate is light on its feet, all zippy acidity and super fine, dust-like tannins. Crunchy, fresh, and drinkable in that famous Testalonga way.

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2024

‘Chin Up’

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