Craven, Cinsault, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2023

Overview of the Wine
Our story begins back in 2007 while we were both 'dragging hose' in Sonoma, California, for the harvest season. A chance meeting at the Flamingo Hotel, between an Aussie and a South African, has eventually turned into Craven Wines.

Grape / Blend
Cinsault

Origin
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Cherry, strawberries, cream, red + purple flowers, rocky minerality. Palate is fresh with bramble, boysenberry, bright red cherry, hints of eucalyptus. We chose this bright beauty for the summer months, due to its light bodied character and thirst quenching power. Fermented and aged in concrete, this vinification process of utilizing concrete preserves the essence of the organic 34+ year old bush vines resting 3 miles from the ocean in the ‘Rustenhof' vineyard. Craven Wines is a husband-and-wife team, Mick (from Australia) and Jeanine (from South Africa) met during harvest in Sonoma then returned to South Africa to create site-specific wine.

91 Points - Vinous
The 2023 Cinsault comes from a parcel in the Rustenhof farm shared with Scions of Sinai. This was destemmed and spent eight to ten days on the skins. It has a pretty nose that’s quite energetic and delineated, expressing white-tipped strawberry, maraschino cherry and just a hint of candy floss. The palate is very well balanced with a Grenache-like flashiness on the mid-palate and fine acidity. Crisp, focused and linear in style, it concludes with a peppery finish. Very fine.

Product size: 750ml