Le Sommelier presents the new wave South African wines of Craven…
A global affair, husband and wife team Mick (Aussie) and Jeanine (South African) met while working at a winery in Sonoma before returning to Stellenbosch to source fruit for their low intervention wines. They make only single vineyard, single variety wines, highlighting different terroirs around Stellenbosch.
“We chose South Africa, as we think there is a lot of potential here to make amazing wines. We live in Stellenbosch and our hearts are here in this town, which is why we only make wines from the Stellenbosch region as we want to be within a heartbeat of the vines. We want to make wines which are interesting, both stylistically and by varietal, but also wines which have a sense of place and express where they come from. We have isolated particular vineyard sites, for their unique soils and micro-climates, where we work with the growers to ensure that we get the best results from the particular sites. All our wines will come from single vineyards around Stellenbosch.” – Mick Craven
We are thrilled to welcome these stunning new wines to Ontario, and explore New Wave South Africa.
To launch the Craven Wines portfolio, we’ve created a special limited edition Mixed Case Craven Wines six pack, so you have the opportunity to try all of their wines together.
Chenin Blanc Karibib Vineyard 2019
This Chenin Blanc is sourced from early-picked, 37-year-old radial bush vines on the weathered granite soils of Polkadraai’s Karibib Vineyard, a vineyard they took control of in 2015, and started organic viticulture. The Polkadraai is set to get its own WO in 2019. Grapes are whole-bunch pressed to neutral 500L barrels after 5 hours, and after a five month wild ferment and natural MLF, it was left on the lees for four more months before racking. Slight cloudy by intent and with texture, this has beauty concentration and energy, teeming wild oranges, tangerine, light white honey, alluring white mushroom, and subtle wildflowers over a slight bed of downy lees. The finish lingers with granitic grip. Fantastic mouthfeel and completeness, drinking beautifully now and will be for years.
Appellation : WO Stellenbosch
Region : South Africa
Grape(s) : Chenin Blanc
Price : $34.95 for 750mL
Case : 6 pack. Purchase online here.
Pinot Gris 2020
Love this characterful wine. Pouring a lovely peachy red hue, this skin contact Pinot Gris was fermented like a red. It’s rare enough to find PG in SAF, and unheard of to find one as memorable as this. After destemming, this had 6-7 days skin contact (until it goes dry) before being pressed and racked into older French barrels where it remained for 9 months. From Newlands Vineyard and its heavy iron-rich koffeklip soils, this textural wine opens with beauty roiboos and bergamot, woven with flakes of sea salts. Tight with texture and grip, the tension ever alternates from the citrus centric fruits to the mineral salts. Vines are 15 years old, facing east, and have responded incredibly well to the Cravens holistic viticulture. Smashable.
Appellation : WO Stellenbosch
Region : South Africa
Grape(s) : Pinot Gris
Price : $33.95 for 750mL
Case : 6 pack. Purchase online here.
Cinsault 2020
From 30-year-old dry farmed bush vines on decomposed granites in Rustenhof vineyard, in the Faure district, this is one of the Bredall family farms that the Cravens started using in 2017 (and is one of Mick’s favourite), and they share the site with Bernard Bredall and his striking Sons of Sugarland label. Destemmed and native fermented, this aged in neutral puncheons. Wild cherry, wild raspberry, sapid grippy plum is layered with fynbos and fine white pepper. Acidity is pixellated and bright, thanks to precise farming and Tannins are fine and lightly sticky, finishing with that characteristic granitic grip.
Appellation : WO Stellenbosch
Region : South Africa
Grape(s) : Cinsault
Price : $34.95 for 750mL
Case : 6 pack. Purchase online here.
Syrah The Firs Vineyard 2019
Situated on a warm site in the Devon Valley, an area of Stellenbosch prized for intense red wines, this has deeper, darker, red clay soils. The wine was whole bunch, lightly stomped, gently handled, into old puncheons for native ferment and 10 months’ rest. Quite powerful, yet finessed, with medicinal raspberry, cracked nutmeg, waves of fine black pepper woven through the brooding wild cherry and raspberry.
Appellation : WO Stellenbosch
Region : South Africa
Grape(s) : Syrah
Price : $37.95 for 750mL
Case : 6 pack. Purchase online here.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
From west-facing 1999 planted vines on Polkadraai’s Karibib Vineyard’s decomposed granites, this was early picked and partial whole cluster, fermented native and on skins for a short time before moving into neutral French barrel. This opens into black cherry, wild raspberry, dusty graphite on a slight 12.5 degree palate. Tannins are characteristically granitic grippy and fine, and acidity is easily capable of lofting this to a lingering, stony finish.
Appellation : WO Stellenbosch
Region : South Africa
Grape(s) : Cabernet Sauvignon
Price : $37.95 for 750mL
Case : 6 pack. Purchase online here.
Most of our producers are small, independently owned and operated businesses, like ours. You can view our complete portfolio here. Thank you for letting us share these producers and wines with you.
Cheers,
Le Sommelier
416.603.7026
bernard@lesommelier.com
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MIXED CASES
Check out our website for our current selection of Mixed Cases. We are continually adding new selections for you. These limited edition cases of 6 or 12 bottles were intended for restaurants and special events, and filled with wines not found in the LCBO. We will arrange contactless delivery to your door, anywhere in Ontario.
View the current offerings here.
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