Description

Information:

Crystallum is a family-run and privately-owned winery based in the Walker Bay region of South Africa.

Brothers Andrew and Peter-Allan are the third generation of Finlayson winemakers and sons of the man who pioneered Pinot Noir winemaking in the Hemel-en-Aarde region. Andrew is an architect by training and Peter-Allan a student of philosophy and economics, but it didn’t take long for the lure of wine to take effect, with Andrew drawn to the vineyards and Peter-Allan to the cellar.

The company was founded in 2007 when it produced just over four thousand bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. The following vintage saw the introduction of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Crystallum now produces these Burgundian varieties exclusively, making up its collection with multi-vineyard blends and single-vineyard wines.

From vines on Crystallum's own Shaw’s Mountain vineyard just outside the Hemel en Aarde valley. The Litigo, meaning ‘discussion’ in legal terms, is a wine made in partnership with lawyer Eben van Wyk.


Wine making:

Fermented using only native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. There was a 75% whole bunch component with the rest de-stemmed but left intact as whole berries. The wine spent a total of 4 weeks on the skins after which it went into French and Hungarian oak barrels (20% new) for 11 months.


Description:

Nose: Red plum, dried herbs, tomato leaf and a pine needle freshness on the nose ahead of red cherry, redcurrant and light woodsmoke. 

Taste: Bright red fruits lead on the palate with a hint of both sour cherry and dark chocolate, while the finish is grippy, saline and spicy.