Thanks to my Responsible Adult (aka Alisa) for this recommendation. I had asked her to recommend some South African wines, being that she is both a wine buff and South African. This was top of her list. I’m glad it was.
In the glass
A stunning colour. Completely unexpected. (I hadn’t read much on the wine beforehand.) Watermelon is my first thought. Then, perhaps, unset strawberry Jell-O. Clear, medium depth. I’m not going to try to put this into some ducking (thanks autocorrect!) inappropriate WSET colour category. Deal with it.
The nose
A slight whiff of something bright red. So slight I wonder if it could more the expectation based on the colour than an actual smell. The senses are weird that way. Weirder than most people realise, I think. I’m tasting this one alone, so there’s no one else to ask. (Cue George Thorogood and The Destroyers: ‘Yeah, you know when I drink alone / I prefer to be by myself’)
The palate
Medium body, nice acidity. It’s definitely a skin-contact wine, and has that, well, skin-contact-y mouthfeel to it. Yeah, I know how helpful that is as a description.
Not as bright on the palate as I was expecting from the colour. (Oh, that colour!) Definitely red, not black fruits. Red currants, a hint of cranberry, and possibly some strawberry. Not a spectacularly long finish, but also one that detract from the wine in any way. A bit of red apple peel if you just let the wine sit in your mouth for a bit.
Rating
Ooh…. Shiny on visuals. Yummy-Plus overall. If you are the sort of person who insists on calling Bordeaux ‘Claret,’ this won’t be for you. But otherwise, it’s very nice indeed.
Sustainability
Low intervention. They buy in their grapes, but are working on making it as sustainable as possible, according to their website. https://www.yoelreywines.com/
The technical info and such
13.5% ABV. Grenach Gris. Skin contact, aged in old oak. £24.50 from Good Wine Good People