South Africa

Crystallum

Peter Max 2022

38,00 €
A wonderfully elegant and fragrant Pinot noir.
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Peter and Max are the first names of the winegrowers who worked in the vineyards used to produce the first vintage of this vintage. Things have changed since then but the name has remained to pay homage to them. The Pinot Noir grapes come from 4 distinct vineyards and the philosophy is to make a balanced and harmonious blend. The fruits were picked by hand and the wine was fermented naturally . Then it remained for 10 months in French oak barrels, 15% of which were new. The wine was then bottled after light filtration. On the palate, we are talking about Pinot Noir here with a crystalline and pure structure, supported by texture and an acidity that makes the mouth water. Fine and intense, we immediately sense red fruits such as wild strawberries , raspberries , redcurrants, cherries and some floral, spicy and smoky notes. A delicious wine to drink now and over the next 10 years.

Grape varieties : 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol : 14%

Guard : 5-10 years

This wine deserves to be paired with good dishes such as duck with sweet spices, pork tenderloin in a crust, turkey stuffed with porcini mushrooms with new potatoes and ending the meal with a good cheese board.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s.



Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles.



South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.



The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.

Cape South Coast


The Cape South Coast is a recently designated South African wine region which is part of the Western Cape. It is located to the east of the Coastal region where most of South African wine production takes place. Due to its proximity to the ocean, cool climate grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are much more successful here than in most other parts of the country. Sparkling wine production is also experiencing some growth. Six wine-growing areas are located within its territory: Cape Agulhas, Elgin (considered the coolest part of South Africa), Overberg, Plettenberg Bay, Swellendam and Walker Bay.


The sub-region: Walker Bay


Walker Bay is a wine region located on the southern coast of the Western Cape, 95 kilometers from Cape Town. It is characterized by its maritime climate which is one of the coolest in South Africa. The region is renowned for its Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as its fresh, full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc. The proximity to the ocean means that the Walker Bay vineyards are subject to strong maritime influences. The long, sunny summers are cooled by the ocean breezes that come from the southeast. The Antarctic Benguela Current from the nearby Atlantic Ocean ensures that these breezes are cold enough to cool the grapes during the ripening season. This has the effect of slowing down the ripening process, allowing the grapes to develop concentrated flavors while retaining their acidity. The main center of the region, Hermanus, is particularly famous for the southern right whales which are frequently seen at Walker Bay. This, combined with the thriving wine industry that surrounds the town, has made Walker Bay a popular tourist destination in South Africa.

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