Mabalel 2023

Mabalel takes its name from a poem by Eugene Marais, which tells the story of a local chief’s daughter 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 crocodile’s lair) along which a river flows. The site is 700 metres above sea level and is surrounded by spectacular mountains , with peaks often snow-capped in winter. The soil type is clayey with a lighter topsoil of sandstone and quartz. Meticulously hand-picked and destemmed, the juice from the grapes is fermented using natural yeasts and aged for 11 months in oak barrels (20% of which are new). The aromas jostle with candied cherry , sweet spice and red rose mingling with smoky and wild herb notes. The palate is smooth and textured, with cocoa , soy , plum , nutmeg and black mushroom adding a savoury balance to the fresh, spicy red fruits. Firm tannins and fresh acidity maintain the structure, resulting in an extraordinarily long finish and superb ageing potential.

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.