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BlackSmith Wines is a project founded by winemaker Tremayne Smith. Tremayne is a a trained chef, who abandoned the kitchen to inhabit the wine cellar. He has worked under some incredible mentors like David Trafford at De Trafford Wine, and Andrea Mullineux at Mullineux Family Wines, and he’s also spent time as the head viticulturist for De Trafford wines. Tremayne went on to be the head winemaker at Fable Wines in Tulbagh, before finally sticking it to the man, and deciding to work full time on his Black Smith Wines range.
But perhaps what is most remarkable about Tremayne is that he is one of the few winemakers makes a point of forefronting his Viticulturist and wine partner Jaco Engelbrecht. If “great wine is really made in the vineyards, then there should be as many rockstar viticulturists as there are rock star winemakers. And yet that just isn’t the case. Yet.

In this video, we focus on his Vin Blanc 2017, which is a fascinating blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Semillon. Not that you’d be able to guess as much just from sipping it. It’s a supremely beguiling number that keeps unfolding, the longer it sits in the glass.

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:

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👃🏼 Loads of tertiary waxy notes, with lanolin, flint, lemon rind, chalk, dried flowers, and even a hint of ginger ale and salted almonds.

👄 The palate is supremely textured, with dark bitter marmalade elements with white pepper spice, salted limes, and peach fruit.

The entire affair has superb concentration, with a tail end lengthier than an avengers credits reel.

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