Natural Wine Mixed Case

Petillant Naturel

From winemaker Jurgen Gouws:

“In 1901 HMS Sybille was stranded at Lamberts Bay opposite Steenbokfontein where my grandmother lived for 57 years.
”This wine is a tribute to my grandmother that passed away in January 2022 (the same week we harvested these local grapes) and she was as local as one could get.

“There is a full stop at the end of the Sybille on the label which symbolises the end of the ship and the passing of my grandmother’ – fond memories of a sometimes difficult tannie!”

Soil: Granite
Varietal: Pinotage
Alc: 11.5%
Sugar: 1.2g/l

Chenin Blanc - Skin Macerated

The original TESTALONGA wine.

Organically farmed dryland bushvines, planted in 1972. Picked on a balance between taste/feeling and experience we find this helps to maintain the pH/acid/alcohol balance that we love. This vineyard is in a wet area on the Paardeberg.

Hand harvested. Destemmed 100% into 1500L open fermenters. Fermented for 14 days on the skins before being pressed into one 3000L Foudre. No yeast inoculation and fermented at ambient room temperature of 16 degrees. Full malolactic fermentation takes place. Bottled after 11 months in Foudre. "The original TESTALONGA wine.
Grapes from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in 1972 on granite. Complex aromatics of hay, lime, lemon, peach, fynbos, and tea. The palate is light-bodied yet detailed. Energetic with a persistent, finish – super-dry but not astringent." 96 Points - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za

Hanepoot (Muscat d'Alexandrie) - Skin Macerated

Organically farmed bush vines planted in the 1952, they are situated in a very wet part of the Paardeberg, at the bottom of the slope, and this helps with ripening the large berries fully.

Hand-harvested then fermented after being 100% Destemmed. Pressed after 10 days and matured in 500L old oak casks. No added yeast or acid. Full malolactic fermentation takes place. SO2 added a month before bottling, a light clarifying filtration, not fined. "Grapes from a Paardeberg vineyard supposedly planted in 1952 on granite. Skin contact lasting two weeks. The nose shows floral perfume as well as a grape-like quality while the palate is juicy and fresh with a lightly salty finish. Cheerful if a bit simple." 89 Points - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za

100% Cinsaut from a single vineyard in Stellenbosch. The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented on skins for 7-10 days and aged in concrete until bottling after 9 months.
"From two Helderberg vineyards, one planted in 1978 and the other in 1988. The nose shows red and black cherry, maybe some plum, potpourri, earth and spice. Good fruit concentration, snappy acidity and powdery tannins. Intensely flavoured and well balanced, this is substantial without sacrificing vitality. 93/100" Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za

Jurgen and a Swiss intern were on their way to fetch the grapes for this wine, his sole purpose for joining in on the drive was to keep Jurgen company on this drive. Obviously he fell asleep, thus Sleeping co-pilot was born. Possibly the only skin contact Viognier in the country, this wine is everything it promises.

From clay soils in Riebeek - whole-bunch for 2 weeks. Exotic fruits and spices, with dried wild herbs - opens up in the glass, truly unique.
Christian Eedes: "Peach, apricot, orange, honeysuckle, fynbos and a faint petrol-like note. The palate shows dense fruit, tart acidity and a grippy, bone-dry finish. Highly unconventional but impossible to ignore… 91/100."

This wine is impossibly fun to drink. A deeper pink with crisp red berries and minerality on the nose. The palate has a pretty and floral note to it. A very low alcohol of 11.5% makes this wine utterly smashable.