Description
VINIFICATION
A virtually unexplored method of producing Chardonnay, resulting in
a wine that boasts an alcohol of only 12.5%. With a perfect balance
between mature and slightly under-ripe fruit, this Chardonnay was
fermented and left in contact with its crushed and destemmed skins
and punched down twice a day until the end of fermentation. Aged
in a 500 litre Terracotta Amphora with the bottom lined by fully ripe
and dried out stalks. Two months in contact with the skins under a
layer of fresh virgin olive oil. Drained, bottled and bottle-matured for
a further year before release.
THE VINEYARD
This unique Chardonnay is grown on the well-drained and naturally
sandy soils from the Franschhoek Valley Floor.
TASTING NOTES
The colour of this wine defies the several weeks of skin contact,
showing vibrant greens and yellows in the glass. Fresh lemon and
lime form the crux of the aromatics, with subtle spice and nuttiness
on the nose. The palate is relentlessly complex and remarkably clean
for a natural-style wine, whose texture in the finish begs another
taste
Producer Profile
Lokaia was born from the overwhelming sense that there was
more to explore in the Franschhoek Valley. While it’s no secret that Semillon,
Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are at the forefront of the region’s wine
identity, their bottled form still has room for growth and refinement. The
ultimate goal is to extract as much personality and definition from the grapes
as possible, while still maintaining each variety’s purity, brightness and
focus.
Lokaia’s intrepid founders, Clayton Reabow and Craig
McNaught, are also the winemakers behind this visionary Franschhoek-based
label. These guys have decades of wine experience between them and collaborated
on a plethora of other projects before diving in to their own brand in 2020. It
was just one of those things that was always going to happen.
Clayton has been behind the wheel of Franschhoek’s
Chardonnay Mecca – Moreson, for fourteen years and counting. Currently at the
peak of his powers, he is still the only individual to have won both the
Diner’s Club Young Winemaker of the Year and Winemaker
of the Year awards. While simultaneously running a bourgeoning wine
consultancy, Clayton continues to bottle some of South Africa’s most
critically-acclaimed wines.
Craig, is the second-generation winemaker and co-owner of
Stony Brook Vineyards in Franschhoek’s Bo-Hoek region. His focus for many years
has been on producing traditional, old-world influenced wines and Lokaia
affords him the opportunity to delve in to the postmodern.
So what happens when you merge these two
personas together and let their imaginations run wild? The answer: a winemaking
philosophy that captures their common passion in sublime liquid form.
Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 17/20
[Jancis Robinson, 16/10/2023]
