Description
Made from one of Franschhoek’s lowest-yielding Semillon vineyards, this wine is hand-picked and crafted to highlight the purity of the grape. With no oak influence and no malolactic fermentation, the result is a wine that is fresh, vibrant, and full of character. The nose is laser-focused with steely minerality and bright lime zest, while the palate offers concentrated tension and a lively acidity. The gentle phenolic structure gives the wine a long, salty finish, making it one to age gracefully.
Reviews
Greg Sherwood 95
“””The small production boutique Pound of Flesh Semillon made from Stony Brook vineyards in the Bo-Hoek area of Franschhoek has been one of the truly great new release white revelations of the past two to three years in South Africa. This cultivar is in its terroir home in the Franschhoek Valley and simply excels there, showing intense aromatics of white peaches, lime peel, lemon grass, freshly cut Granny Smith apples with complexing hints of white blossom, dried herbs, wet hay, lanolin and intricate mineral notes of crushed gravel. The palate is equally enticing, showing incredible fruit concentration as well as a piercing glassy acidity, all concertinaed into a very taut, tight, linear but explosive package. With the amphorae winemaking and early picked freshness and purity, the Pound of Flesh Semillon represents a sublime expression of nervy, crystalline white wine with an enviable vibrancy and precision. If you missed the earlier vintages, do not miss this inspiring 2022 release. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.”” (Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)” [Greg Sherwood, 25/06/2024]
Producer Profile
INTRODUCTION
There is a phrase in French: ‘l’appel du vide’, which roughly translates to ‘call of the void’. It describes the brief moment when we consider succumbing to the lure of the siren song, or taking a leap from a great height. This Cabernet Franc is a consequence of that moment. An outright departure from regularity. The result is a bright, naturally low alcohol wine, with plenty of body and depth coming from the fact that the wine was fermented and matured on the skins for 4 months in a small amphora. A natural, unfined, unfiltered wine that may produce small amounts of tartrates and sediment in the bottle over time.
CELLAR INFORMATION
This old Cabernet Franc vineyard was planted on the rocky Eastfacing slopes of Franschhoek’s Dutoitskop Peak.
VINEYARD INFORMATION
In an effort to capture the purity and bright red fruit of Cabernet Franc, these grapes were harvested at a potential alcohol of just 11.5%. Each grape was meticulously sorted before being fermented and matured on the skins in a small amphora for four months. A true and pure expression of Cabernet Franc, spontaneously fermented with wild yeasts and void of any influence from oak. A natural, unfined, unfiltered wine that may produce small amounts of tartrates in the bottle over time.
