Crystallum - Mabalel - 2022

Mabalel 2022

Crystallum

$420.00

Single-plot Pinot noir from the coolest place in Crystallum

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South Africa

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Vin Red

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14%

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10 years +

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100% Pinot Noir

Only 1 piece in stock!

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This very beautiful vintage will flourish wonderfully with a quail pâté, a forest pâté, Beaufort crisps, a boletus risotto, a Burgundy fondue or a delicious oven-baked beef shank!

Let's talk little, let's talk wine

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Mabalel takes its name from a poem by Eugene Marais, which tells the story of the daughter of a local chief of the same name who was ambushed by a crocodile while fetching water from the Limpopo River. The vineyard is planted around the farm “Kaaimansgat” (meaning the crocodile's lair) along which a river flows. The site rises to an altitude of 700 meters and is surrounded by spectacular mountains , with peaks often covered in snow in winter. The soil type is clayey with a lighter topsoil of sandstone and quartz. Meticulously picked by hand and destemmed, the juice of the grapes is fermented using natural yeasts and aged for 11 months in oak barrels (20% of which are new). The aromas jostle, we smell candied cherry , sweet spices and red rose mingling with smoky notes and wild herbs . The palate is smooth and textured, with cocoa , soy , plum , nutmeg and black fungus adding a savory balance to the fresh, spicy red fruits. Firm tannins and fresh acidity maintain structure, resulting in an extraordinarily long finish and ensuring superb aging.

Where are we traveling?

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: Overberg Overberg is a district of the Cape South Coast and takes its name from its location in Cape Town which means "above the mountains". Overberg is a fairly recent wine appellation, as the territory is traditionally associated with the cultivation of apples and the production of grape juice. Altitude plays an important role in the Overberg. Vineyards can reach 700 meters above sea level, giving them more hours of sunshine than estates located at lower altitudes. This altitude, coupled with the cooling sea breezes of Walker Bay, results in a longer ripening season, often extending into March and April. These growing conditions make it possible to obtain balanced wines, complex in taste and with a good level of fresh acidity.

The little history of the country

South Africa

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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.

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