Lowerland Tolbos Tannat 2018
This is another wine that I’ve taken off the shelf and returned to the shelf and taken off the shelf, only to return it to the shelf. Come hither, it beckoned. I obliged.
Corkscrew in hand. Frowned at the wax…but it’s the flexy type so all is forgiven. Fair warning…this is long and rambly. Save yourself the pain and flip through the slides instead. Conclusion: this wine is lekker!
The Wine:
Deep ruby with a surprisingly medium- nose of mulberries, leather, plums, dark macerated cherries, blueberries, cassis, faint spices like a rub…think white pepper, seaweed salt, and a grounding warming depth of sticky moscavado sugar, cardamom, mace - that you want to coat your leg of lamb in for a Moroccan inspired meal. And raisins…that was my first thought when I caught a whiff after removing the cork…the raisins are probably what led me down the Moroccan path…they’re moreish, plump and juicy raisins…not dusty old shrivelled things that you fish out of the peanut and raisin kiddie lunch snack packs.
Before we head to the palate….can I just say that this nose got me to stop working at 7:30pm because it was taking me on a very unexpected journey.
Dry, full bodied, smooth medium tannins (surprisingly), salty red fruits on the palate and anise. Soy sauce and rosemary stalks on the medium finish that’s a little bitter at first…but again, as this opened up it kept evolving. Raspberry covered milk chocolate with less of the bitterness…though still there. I got so carried away that I had to come back to acidity…medium+. And just to prove how rubbish I am at alcohol, I thought I felt heat…but mostly I was thinking about the Northern Cape. Turns out it’s a cosy 13.5%.
Vini + Viti:
The grapes are grown on a regenerative farm in Prieka in the Northern Cape. What I adore about this farm is that they grow and raise everything...it's the kind of holistic farming you're taught about as a kid. It's an organically certified farm , and at 1000 metres above sea level it boasts a desert climate!
The 50% wholebunch and 50% destemmed grapes are naturally fermented. Foot stomping, minimal handling, with light pressing after fermentation. The wine is aged in old French oak for 10 months. No fining. Minimal SO2 is added before bottling.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (1) = A very good wine
Drink now, but potential for further ageing.
Final Thoughts:
What a surprising palate…it’s nothing like any Tannat I’ve ever had before…it’s so soft and gentle. But then again…it’s Lukas van Loggerenberg. I’m kind of not surprised that he’s been able to tame the tannins in his typically elegant fashion.
I’m still not sure how Lukas is able to coax and cajole these big, fiercely tannic wines into meek and mild snoozing kittens…wizardry, I tell you. And I’m buying into this #organic magic, ‘arry Po’er.
The name Prieska comes from the Korana (nomadic Khoisan people) words for 'beris' and 'gab' meaning 'place of the lost she goat'.
