Brace yourself for a Weskus revolution!
It’s only so often that a new release has everyone buzzing with excitement. My inbox was filled with queries about my thoughts on the wine…people who’d never spoken to me before started engaging with me. It’s safe to say that Sakkie’s wines are conversation starters. That’s the power of reaching cult status…which he surely has. He’s a young and passionate winemaker who believes that the West Coast is capable of producing premium wines. And he is proving this to be true with his Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc, the Full On Misfits white blend, and now this Sand Erf Vermentino.
The Wine:
Very pale lemon with a medium nose of surprisingly aromatic limes, blossoms, white peaches, Granny Smith apples, distant sea breezes, and delightful petrichor.
Dry and light bodied with the expected high acidity. I physically braced myself…for no reason… because the acidity is smooth and controlled, and not in the least bit distracting. Lime juice and zest, grapefruit peel, kumquats, as well as green apple, and some white peaches (that were more prominent after having a bite of my spicy pork stir fry). There’s a very distinctive salinity, metallic oyster shells and crushed quartz that, in my opinion, is what makes this special and sets it apart from Italian Vermentino. And a medium finish that makes you wonder why you bothered with the Coravin…when you already know that you want another glass.
Vini + Viti:
In my excitement, I completely forgot to ask any questions about the vini and viti – I’ll update this as soon as I get a chance.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (½) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (½) = A good wine
Drink now, not suitable for further ageing. This was bottled 2 months before being released. I’ve no doubt that this will smooth itself out even with a little more time in bottle. A part of me is curious about how this high acid white wine could age over the years…but this is based on pure geeky, rule breaking curiosity. Vermentino is best enjoyed young and fresh!
Final thoughts:
It’s no secret that I, along with many other people were excited about this new release. There’s the aforementioned cult status that Sakkie has earned. But also the excitement about Vermentino in South Africa…and from Koekenaap!
Koekenaap on the map
There’s something very special about the fact that the winemaker grew up in this region, and believes that it is capable of producing premium wines. These Vermentino vineyards, originally planted for a large bulk brand but rejected because they didn’t yield sufficient juice, are capable of thriving in our warm SA climate…ticking the sustainable checkbox. Sakkie discovered the block and saw the potential to nurture these grapes and produce a wine that honours his grandfather (that’s him on the label, riding the bull). A friend on insta commented that you’ve got to love when ‘the grapes are too good for shitty wine’!
Sakkie playing slide guitar in the daisy covered vineyards
If you haven’t already done so, go and watch the video where Sakkie describes this wine as ‘Chenin Blanc with some swagger’…and enjoy the visuals of daisies in a vineyard?
Find the Wine:
The wines are also headed to these parts of the world:
Kaap tot Kaap wyn – Netherlands
Unico real wines – Norway
Vinosa – UK
Handford Wines – UK