Rebel Rebel Old Vine Colombar 2023

I’m so very late to this Rebel Rebel party...but yo, I’m here now....and this Rebel Rebel Old Vine Colombar is a banging boogie!

The Wine:

A far yellower yellow than I expected...but those boogie lights delivered on their promise of a good time: green apple and melon, quince, honey, green hay, dry grass, earthy fresh button mushrooms, chamomile, mild sweet brandy fumes, and salinity.

The slinky RS (only 4g) is elegantly countered by savoury salinity, while electric acidity pulsed through the medium body with its creamy texture...all the way through the fairly lengthy (med +) grapefruit-zing finish. White peaches, lemongrass, and pineapple have you John Travolta’ing a finger in the air.

Conclusion? It’s fucking delicious! Though, be warned, it loses some of that addictive vibrating energy by day 2...so invite a friend, pop the cork and finish it in one sitting.

Vini + Viti:

Can't find the 2023 spec sheet so herewith the Rebel Rebel Old Vine Colombar 2022 details:

100% Colombar from vines planted in 1986 in Bottelary, Stellenbosch.

The grapes were crushed and destemmed, and macerated for 8 hours before pressing. Spontaneously fermented in barrel with minimal intervention. "natural residual sugar due to slow fermentation kinetics". Then aged in 500 litre French oak barrels for 7 months.

11.58% alc | RS 4.1g/L | TA 6.4g/L | VA 0.46g/L | pH 3.25

Final thoughts:

South Africans aren’t strangers to Colombar(d). Like Cognac, we’ve traditionally grown the grape for brandy distillation. It often makes its way into blends. But there’s been a beautiful old vine Colombar revolution that celebrates the grape as varietal wines...led by exciting winemakers that include Rebel Rebel’s Kayleigh Hattingh. And you know SA is great at revolution when we feel like it! Vive la révolution. Vive la Rebel Rebel Old Vine Colombar 2023!