Young Guns and New Wave Producers
Timed Online Auction, 17 - 27 November 2023
Young Gun and New Wave Producers
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About this Item
Based in the Walker Bay region of South Africa, Crystallum is run by brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson, 3rd-generation winemakers who focus on Burgundy varieties. Within only a little over 15 years (interestingly the first vintage was a singular Sauvignon in 2007!) this outfit has positioned itself as one of the top proponents of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in South Africa. Awards locally and internationally are in fact unrivalled, and the wines are sold out every year on release.
Mabalel is named after a poem by the legendary South African polymath Eugene Marais, which tells the story of a local chieftain’s daughter of the same name who was ambushed while fetching water from the Limpopo river by the crocodile, Lalele. The vineyard is planted on ‘Kaaimansgat’ farm - meaning Crocodile’s lair - and a river flows past the vineyard. The site is 700m high and surrounded by dramatic mountains, with peaks that are are often snow-capped in winter.
Provenance
Restaurant Mosaic
Critics Ratings
‘The 2014 Mabalel wasn’t ready to be tasted when I was in the Cape, so I tried this 2013 again, reviewed in last year’s report. It confirms its status as one of the best three Pinots in the Cape, sourced from a 700 metre vineyard in the Overberg. Floral, focused and very minerally, it’s complex and refined with a touch of reduction, succulent red fruits and great palate length. Drink: 2015-21’ - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2015, 94/100
‘From a high-lying young inland (Overberg) vineyard, 2013 from all destemmed grapes. High-toned, bright red fruit, with floral aromas even hinting at herbaceousness. Lighter in texture than the others, a touch less ripely substantial, but with a pure loveliness.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2015, 4.5*
‘Attired in eye-catching pink wax, the 2013 Mabalel Pinot Noir comes from a high-altitude (650m) vineyard where Rosa Kruger has been assisting Peter-Allan Finlayson. The Mabalel contains no whole-bunch unlike some of the other cuvées. It has a ripe red cherry and red plum-scented bouquet that is nicely defined, very natural and refined, unfurling gracefully with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, edgy and tense with superb precision on the Pommard-like finish. This neatly bridges Old World and New World Pinot Noir - an impressive debut release.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Oct 2014)
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