BlankBottle Kortpad Kaaptoe 2019
One more from the Swartland? This time it’s to add to the list of more unusual grapes found in South Africa. It’s made by my favourite favourite. Some people have Quality Streets…Pieter Walser’s wines are the quality of street I wish I lived on.
The Wine:
“So pretttty!’ - I yelled that after pouring the first glass. Sometimes I wonder if the neighbours can hear me. Sometimes I wonder if any part of me ever cares.
Pale gold in colour with a medium nose of pretty, pretty honeysuckle and freesias, mango, peach, honey, petrichor, and a touch of citrus scented floor wax.
There’s some RS, so I’m calling this off dry? Medium- bodied, medium- acidity, a very long finish of mango, honey, watered down piña colada and fennel. The acidity is lacking (we’re a warm region)…but it it’s still so pretty. One thing that I missed was the spices that I’ve learned are typical for this grape….it’s a stretch to mention possible cinnamon and nutmeg…a biiiiig stretch.
Viti & Vini:
39 year old Fernão Pires bush vines planted on clay rich, iron saturated Koffieklip soils. Koffieklip (coffee soil) is named after the pebbles that poke out in the soil and look like coffee beans. The grapes were spontaneously fermented in larger French oak vessels and aged on the lees for one year.
Conclusion:
Balance (½) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (½) = A good wine.
Drink now for its aromatics. It lacks acidity, but I'd still be curious to see what happens with some ageing.
Final Thoughts:
I could tell you the story of how, after asking a farmer for a shortcut from the Swartland to Cape Town (kortpad Kaaptoe), Pieter was given direction to drive past the Carignan, past the Shiraz and past the Fernão Pires?! But do yourself a massive favour and get lost in the mesmerising storytelling skills of this winemaker. www.blankbottle.co.za . He’s my favourite favourite for a reason. You’re welcome.
Tasted on a Fruit Day according to the Biodynamic Calendar for the SH. It’s been one of very few Fruit Days where I’ve enjoyed the wine.
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