I attended a blind tasting where we were judging Chenin Blancs and the Sakkie Mouton Revenge of the Crayfish was amongst these wines. It was not necessarily bolder or heavier than the others, but it was very evident that there is much more to this wine than just a simple Chenin Blanc. When the wines were revealed, I made a note that I want to share this wine at one of my tastings and what a great idea – it was a hit! I am confident to say that this wine will please any experienced wine drinker!
The grapes for Revenge of the Crayfish were sourced from the windy West Coast of South Africa, contributing towards the freshness and high acidity of this wine. On the nose, it offers elegant notes of passion fruit, fynbos and barley. It has a soft but powerful entry on the palate with complex notes of green apples, lemon, lime, passion fruit, honeycomb and quince. A hint of grainy seeds and wheatgrass is evident, with a shell minerality and hints of salinity. It is a complex wine, without being powerful and overwhelming. It has a saline and fynbos finish.
This wine had about four weeks of natural fermentation with 8 months of lees stirring, adding to a soft mouthfeel. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered, presenting a very natural and straightforward wine. It is a very honest and humble wine with much potential, in the cellar for a good 20 years. The label of this wine is showing the head of the winemaker, Sakkie Mouton, being eaten by a crayfish (ubiquitous in the West Coast). It was inspired by science fiction films where humans are attacked by sea creatures and shows the winemaker’s “different” approach to making wine, similar to the rather “different” label.
Sakkie Mouton describes this wine as a wine that should make the consumers feel as if they took a mouth full of seawater. It is certainly a top-end Chenin Blanc but made in very small quantities and very scarce to find. If you are able to get your hands on one or more of these bottles, enjoy one now and continue to open them over time to see how they develop. It will work well on its own or with poultry or pasta. It should be served chilled well.
Producer: Sakkie Mouton Wines
Variety: Chenin Blanc 100%
Vintage: 2022
Origin: Koekenaap, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Sakkie Mouton
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 12.93%
RS: 1.1g/l
Average price: R500
Rating: 96/100
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