Friends and vignerons Clayton Reabow (Môreson) and Craig McNaught (Stony Brook) collectively have 30 years’ experience vinifying Franschhoek grapes, and in this boutique venture they ‘re-examine how the varieties from this area are traditionally produced and then re-imagine them into our own esoteric style’. The focus is on purity of fruit (aided by early picking), light alcohol and ageing potential. Mostly amphora- fermented, the wines get extended skin contact for freshness and texture. A key aim is to highlight Franschhoek’s ‘sub-wards’ - Dutoitskop Peak (cab franc), Bo-Hoek (semillon) and valley floor (chardonnay).
Lokaia range
Category: Cabernet franc
Early picked, bone-dry cabernet franc matured on skins in amphora for 4 months. Arresting magenta hue before glorious pure plum & blackberry fruit, quirky peanut shell top note, trim 11.5% alcohol. 2020 takes a little getting used to. More
Wine tasted by Penny Setti & Cathy van Zyl.
Lokaia range
Category: Semillon unwooded
Semillon from mature Franschhoek vines, brief skin contact & ferment/4 months on lees in tank, year in bottle. Wax & faint honey nuances, 2020 impresses more with bone-dry palate’s gentle grip, fine minerality, impressive heft at slender 11% alcohol. More
Wine tasted by Penny Setti & Cathy van Zyl.
Lokaia range
Category: Chardonnay unwooded
Fascinating take on unoaked chardonnay. 2020 full spectrum of citrus fruit, touch nuttiness, salty tang to austerely dry finish. Slightly under-ripe fruit fermented then aged month on skins in amphora lined with ripe, dried stalks, sealed with layer of olive oil. Further 12 months in bottle. More
Wine tasted by Penny Setti & Cathy van Zyl.
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