What?
Juice 2019 Pinot Noir, Peter Max, Crystallum, Walker Bay, SA
Grape 100% Pinot Noir
Farming Vegan
Tasting Note Bold and rich, showing mulberry, cherry and sweet spice on the nose. The palate is full and fruit forward, with red berries alongside a light smokiness and herbal notes.
Who?
Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson established Crystallum in 2007. Their father, Peter, was a pioneer in the production of cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Bouchard Finlayson, so after university it seemed the natural thing for the boys to return home and source some fruit from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley to start their own label. Crystallum is now one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa.
Why?
Peter-Allan has sourced fruit from some new vineyards, while the winemaking has evolved. All of the wines are now fermented using indigenous yeasts and new oak has been reduced to help the bright fruit characters sing. We love how they use some whole bunches during the winemaking process which ensures the grippy phenolics are very present on the palate and simply add to the layered, generous mouth feel.
With?
As this is a full bodied expression of Pinot Noir we would suggest moving towards more gamey birds. Duck would be a perfect foil, with a rich duck jus, the addition of plums and or black cherries would be delicious too, even a side of sautéed red cabbage wouldn’t go astray. Other game birds such as Grouse with all its trimmings or perhaps Partridge with a rich jus made from its bones and blood. The thought of which is making our mouths salivate as we write these words…