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00:00 – ESSENTIAL INFO ON THE WU TANG’S LEGENDARY “GZA”
00:52 – INTRO THE GOLDEN PHOENIX VS THE WHITE LOTUS
01:10 – MEET WINEMAKER ANDRI HANEKOM
01:51 – A QUICK EXPLAINER ON NON-VINTAGE WINES IN SOUTH AFRICA
02:20 – WHAT’S IN THE BLEND?
03:17 – WHAT DOES THE WINE SMELL AND TASTE LIKE?

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Kyle Martin is maverick in the most Mel Gibson sense of the word. By day he a wine distributor for a number of really top-notch producers, but by night he is a mildly unhinged dreamer / winemaker that owns and runs Caravel Wines. This off-beat-though-flawlessly-polite creature lives not off food, or the energy of the universe, but rather the good vibes that come from albums like the Avalanches’ “Since I left You” and Wu Tang Clans “Enter the 36 Chambers”. He also mentally snacks on low-budget Kung Fu films and the Attack on Titan flicks, while plotting his various projects.

He describes himself as a sort of DJ, who weaves together wine projects in the same way the WuTang Clan used to create music by weaving together disparate bits of pop-culture and art; from vintage Kung Fu & Gladys Night, to Quantum Physics & chess strategies.

The project in focus today is his non-vintage Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend, titled The Golden Phoenix vs the White Lotus.

Now, if you have yet to sign up for your Monthly HanDrinksSolo Wine Subscription then you won’t be able to sip along with us as we unpack this fascinating wine, but I have left you a few flavour notes and some technical specs:

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👃🏼 A fairly fresh opening of Semillon derived lemon grass, followed by the more Sauvignon-familiar elements of lime, flint, lawn clippings, green pepper and oranges.

👄 The palate is zippy than one might expect, but the zingy acidity is tempered by pleasant medium-weighted palate with moderate concentration and a blend of citrus elements from across the spectrum. On the tail, there a lovely flash of riper naartjie, offset by a pleasant hint of oxidative salinity.

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🔬 Wine of Origin Cape Town. 35% Semillon from the 2020 vintage. 65% Sauvignon Blanc from the 2021 Vintage. All fruit is from Bloemendal Estate, grown on south-facing slopes. Sauvigon Blanc is harvested a little riper than usual, bringing a generosity to the fruit. The Semillon is harvested earlier than usual, keeping acid high, and alcohol low. The Semillon is also aged in older oak for two years.