The Vineyard Party I’m your Huckleberry 2022
The Vineyard Party I’m your Huckleberry 2022 is one of three Sémillons made by Jolette Steyn. Each wine is treated differently in the cellar, making the trio an exciting exploration of Sem in the Cape.
The Wine:
It was fun keeping step with the changing rhythms (evolution) of this skin contact Sémillon:
Dry with a round, weightier body that masks the higher acidity and that, with the slightly pithy texture, feels like leaning into your dance partner’s supportive hand on your back. The song is the perfect length with its lingering finish...long enough to set your heart racing and leave you a little out of breath, but also happy to stay on the dance floor for one more turn.
After a few hours the wine had pirouted into a sexier amapiano...grooving steady, rounded beats of dry hay, honey, sweet lemons, dried pineapples, dried apricots, musky apricots stones, naartjies and spicy persimmon. And then herbal chamomile, diluted toffee, and that last little sip of melted ice that once chilled your smoky whisky are dominant on the finish.
Vini + Viti:
Small-batch skin fermented Cape Sémillon from Stellenbosch.
A cold winter and cool growing season allowed for slow ripening. This was followed by multiple heatwaves over December and January - causing the vines to shut down and further delay in ripening as the stomata closed to conserve water, reducing photosynthesis and sugar accumulation. Rains at this time increased disease pressure, making it vital to choose an appropriate picking date. Rigorous sorting in the vineyard and cellar was needed.
The grapes were chilled overnight, then sorted the next day into to open-top fermenters. 50% destemmed and crushed, 50% whole bunches. Spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with gentle pump overs and press-downs twice a day during active fermentation. Kept in contact with skins for 14 days. Aged for 11 months in neutral French oak barrels.
ALC 13.12 % | RS 1.6 g/L | TA 5.2 g/L | PH 3.39
Final thoughts:
It's layered...just the way I like my music and wine. But also super sippable despite its constant evolution: like a smoked Old Fashioned made with a honeyed bourbon and all the fresh citrus peel garnishing...sipped slowly while the ice block melts to find its equilibrium with the alcohol.
I’m Your Huckleberry refers to acceptance of a challenge, saying ‘I’m the one you’re looking for’; ‘Call me, I’ll answer’; ‘Tell me where, I’ll show up/I’ll be there’, ‘I’m it’.” – Jollette Steyn
I’m a tipsy or bored dancer...but Pata Pata (a Miriam Makeba classic that translates to ‘touch touch’) is a sure-fire way to get me on the dance floor. In this case, together with Stomata Stomata, these references on the back label speak to the hands-on approach of the winemaker during a difficult harvest that saw the vines shutting down over multiple heatwaves, as well as disease threat due to rains near harvest. A testament to Jolette’s skills.
Jolette could happily drag me onto the dance floor any day!
Find the Wine:
I picked up this bottle from www.winecellar.co.za/
Read my thoughts on The Vineyard Party Here be Dragons 2018 - one of the maiden releases.
