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00:00 – AN INTRO TO WYNAND GROBLER AND DE KLEINE WIJN KO-OP

01:15 – THE LOW DOWN ON VIGNERON WILLIE MOSTERT AND THE CULTIVARS IN THIS UNSUAL WHITE BLEND

02:53 – WHAT DOES THE KLIPKERS WHITE BLEND TASTE AND SMELL LIKE IN THE GLASS?

04:05 – WHY THESE BLENDS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FUTURE?

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De Kleine Wijn Koop is a remarkably creative outfit run by winemaker Wynand Grobler and his Wife Anya. Not They engage in some delightfully geeky winemaking tricks along the way (removing Cinsaut stems, drying them out, and then adding them back into the must later on in the fermentation), while also working with unusual cultivars like Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Verdelho.

They are also remarkably fluid in their range, releasing some blends – like their Kreatuur – which changes each vintage. As a result of the change in blend components, the name of the wine changes as well. The Grenacinrah, The Mounache and the Grahcinmocar are just three of the more fascinating creature wines that they have released over the last few years.

This Klipkers White has developed a bit of a cult following since its first vintage, partly due to the rather rare cultivars in the blend. The Grenache Gris comes from the only vineyard of its kind in South Africa, and Verdelho as a cultivar – while indeed being on the rise – still accounts for less than 1% of the national vineyard.

It often sells out quite quickly, so we were very pleased to have gotten an allocation. If you have yet to sign up for your Monthly HanDrinksSolo Wine Subscription then you’ll have to hunt this wine down in your own time. But until then, here are my tasting notes and some technical specs:

👃🏼 A rather unusual nose of papaya and honey suckle flowers, but there is also some green pear that pops up beneath it all. Floral and tropical elements mingle profusely.

👄 The papaya element from the nose greets you first on the palate, with that sweeter green pear fruit, but then there is also some textured lemon pith and lovely juicy citric acidity that roughs up any idea of this being an easy pool side quaffer.

Also, the limey elements, presumably from the verdelho take on an almost salty form, which is a beautiful contrast to the more tropical entry. While portions of the wine are barrel fermented, there is no trace of oak I can detect, aside from perhaps some of the saltier elements being a possible result of some oxidation which goes on in barrel.

Wine of origin Voor-Paardeberg. A blend of 74% Grenache Blanc, 17% Verdelho, and 9% Grenache Gris from vines grown in TMS shales soils on the upper ridges of the Voor-Paardeberg (There are also some decomposed granite soils in there, too). The Verdelho is tank-fermented, while portions of the Grenache Gris and Gris blanc are fermented separately in old oak barrels.

ABV 13%, with a TA 7.6g.