New Wines from Craven: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Pinot Gris isn’t exactly an abundant grape planted in Stellenbosch, but it is something Mick and Jeanine have a lot of fun working with. Although a lot of the wine drinking world think and assume it is a ‘white grape’ it is in fact a lovely coppery/dark rose skinned one. They identified this incredible site, called the Newlands Vineyard, farmed by Deon Joubert, on an easterly slope of the Polkadraai Hills facing back toward Stellenbosch. Though the block was only planted in 2007, the wine shows tremendous balance and intensity. Mick calls this skinsy style “the way Pinot Gris should be!” Every vintage gives Mick & Jeanine a run for their money, as this notorious wine is always rejected by the South African Wine & Spirit Board for not complying with the typicity of Stellenbosch. After lots of tedious back-and-forth, the appeals committee always comes around. At this point, it’s a dance the Cravens know by heart.

The wine received a light sheet filtration, but no fining, and it was bottled with just 45 ppm sulfur.

Chenin blanc is a variety that we have always wanted to work with, but were waiting for the right vineyard to come along. Towards the end of 2015, we came across a beautiful site up on the Polkadraai Hills. This faux- bushvine vineyard had been farmed for sweet wine production, and the farmer was happy that a few us were excited to make some dry wine out of it! A little bit of TLC and we had a special block on our hands. We whole-bunch press this wine to a concrete tank, where it is left to ferment naturally. We let the wine complete malolactic fermentation and stabilise itself, and the wine is then left on the lees for around 4 months before its first racking. It spends a total of 9 months in concrete before bottling.