While Pieter Cuythoff humbly named the valley after his patron, Jan van Riebeeck, Riebeek Cellars feels it is only fitting that this wine, which expresses the best of its valley, should carry the name of its founder. So, in honor of Mr. Cruythoff, this range of fine wine bears his name.
Bright red berry notes and a hint of spice is balanced by a luxurious texture & an elegant, lingering, dry finish.
The Chardonnay & Pinot Noir grapes are crushed together. To ensure an array of layered fruit flavors and to capture freshness, we use only free run juice from the crushed grapes. The juice is cold fermented with selected Champagne yeast, blend with a touch of ‘spicy’ Shiraz and then left on the gross lees for 6 months where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and develops the distinct sparkling wine flavors. After the wine is stabilized and filtered it is bottled with CO2 for a Charmat style sparkling wine.
Perfect with a variety of dishes including rich chocolate desserts.
THE LEGEND
Dispatched by Jan van Riebeek in search of the perfect place to grow provisions for the Dutch East India Company, Pieter Cruythoff stumbled upon a beautiful valley. But it was more than just the scenic beauty of this valley that had caught his eye; situated in the lee of the majestic Kasteelberg, the winters were mild, the summers were hot and the soil was uncommonly fertile. What's more, ships spotted from the lookout point on Kasteelberg were just a day away from Cape Town, and so were the wagons that went to meet them, laden with the treasures of the Riebeek Valley.
TIMELESS JEWELS
While he humbly named the valley after his patron, Jan van Riebeek, we feel it is only fitting that our valley's most coveted treasure should carry the name of its founder. So, in honour of Pieter Cruythoff, this range of fine wine bears his name.
From the vibrant whites to the seductive reds, each one is a gem gently coaxed from the fertile soil of that same magical valley. Ironically, much of the valley's bounty still finds its way to Europe, and in particular to the Netherlands, the land of Cruythoff's birth.
• 100% pure Sauvignon Blanc, crafted from grapes grown in the most notable and warmer regions of California’s coastal hills. Each block contributes a distinct element to the blend, resulting in a layered and complex style.
• The harvest dates were determined by physiological maturity, which varied widely in the 2023 vintage due to the wet winter leading to a cool summer. Nevertheless, the extended hang time reduced grapes with low sugar, firm acid, minimal pyrazines, and intense flavor expressions.
• Upon arrival at the winery, the whole clusters underwent a gentle pressing, and the juice underwent a cold settling process for two days. Subsequently, it was racked off the heavy lees into stainless steel tanks, where it underwent a chill fermentation with native yeast – which contributed to the balanced mouthfeel, set against a backdrop of minerality and acidity.
• Following fermentation, the wines remained in tank, with the lees being stirred weekly for nearly four months before the final blend was assembled. No malolactic fermentation was allowed, preserving the vibrant fruit and floral notes, alongside the natural tension characteristics of this blend.
Color:
Medium yellow straw hue.
Aroma:
Asian pear, honeysuckle, passionfruit,
green melon, and a citrus bouquet.
Palate:
Refreshing stone fruit, grapefruit, and tropical flower. This wine has a well-balanced mouthfeel with bright and lively acidity.
Food Pairing:
Oysters on the half shell with mignonette sauce,
niçoise salad, a blue cheese pear tart and crab cakes.
description: This is a Pét-Nat Prosecco.
Pét-Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel (French for Naturally Sparkling).
It is the same vinification method as "Methode Ancestrale" used in Bugey Cerdon.
The wine is bottled before the end of the first alcoholic fermentation. Unlike Champagne method (in which the base wine completes his first fermentation in tank and only the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle adding sugar and yeast also known as liqueur de tirage, which will requires the wine to be disgorged), Pét-Nat method doesn't imply the wine will be filtered or disgorged upon fermentation.
This gives Pét-Nat its light and fizzy mouthfeel, generally with a little sweetness and low alcohol. Most of the times, bottles are slightly cloudy from the presence of lees.
The wine is vibrant with complex lemon citrus, pear and verbena. It finishes dry with delicate yeasty notes.
Alcohol 11,0% vol.
Acidity 5,1 g/l.
Residual sugar 0 g/l
PH 3.3
Pressure 2.4 atm
Area of origin: Vittorio Veneto
Soil: calcareous
Varietal: 95% Glera (known as Prosecco)
Harvest: Manual, with selection of the grapes.
Vinification: Soft pressing with bladder membrane press, settling of must, fermentation at controlled temperature
Fermentation: Processed according to the traditional method of fermentation in yeast bottles. Is normal his natural “bottom” deposit in the bottle, which is why it is brilliant or velvety straw yellow if shaken; the bubble development is brilliant.
Extremely digestible wine, suitable for casual moments or tasting the typical sausages of the local tradition such as the sopressa. Great with pizza daisy.
Review:
"Showing orchard fruit aromas, this wine offers exuberant fruit with light lemon and herbal notes. It offers bright acidity and finishes complete dry. One of the best Pet-Nats we’ve had this year. Made of 95% Glera, this is a sparkling wine made the ancestrale method where the wine is bottled before the end of fermentation, resulting in dissolved carbon dioxide that lends a light sparkling quality to the wine."
- International Wine Review (Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018), 90 pts
Rinaldi Brachetto d' Acqui is made from 100% Brachetto d'Acqui
The skin gives the wine its particular scent and flavor.
Light ruby red color. The bouquet is musky and delicate with scents of ripe red fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and roses. Sweet and smooth flavors with lingering aromatic persistence. There is a good balance between the sweetness and the freshness, which makes this wine very pleasant.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest. Temperature controlled maceration for approximately seven days with mechanic plunging of the cap and pumping over to increase extraction of substances from the skins. This is the most important part of the vinification. Soft pressing.
Rinaldi Brachetto d' Acqui is made from 100% Brachetto d'Acqui
The skin gives the wine its particular scent and flavor.
Light ruby red color. The bouquet is musky and delicate with scents of ripe red fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and roses. Sweet and smooth flavors with lingering aromatic persistence. There is a good balance between the sweetness and the freshness, which makes this wine very pleasant.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest. Temperature controlled maceration for approximately seven days with mechanic plunging of the cap and pumping over to increase extraction of substances from the skins. This is the most important part of the vinification. Soft pressing.
Rinaldi Brachetto d' Acqui is made from 100% Brachetto d'Acqui
The skin gives the wine its particular scent and flavor.
Light ruby red color. The bouquet is musky and delicate with scents of ripe red fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and roses. Sweet and smooth flavors with lingering aromatic persistence. There is a good balance between the sweetness and the freshness, which makes this wine very pleasant.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest. Temperature controlled maceration for approximately seven days with mechanic plunging of the cap and pumping over to increase extraction of substances from the skins. This is the most important part of the vinification. Soft pressing.
In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2017 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is looking good next to the 2016 tasted beside it. It is fresh and vibrant, with layers of complexing dark earth characters, with cigar box, black olive brine, cassis, bramble, milk chocolate and cracked black pepper. This is very good, and it has what I am coming to recognize as a "Yalumba red character": dried herbs, particularly oregano. The juicy splay of fruit through the finish is a highlight.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
Thorn Clarke Shotfire GSM is made from 51% Grenache, 39% Shiraz, 10% Mourvedre.
The Shotfire range honors a family pioneer who worked the Barossa goldfields in the late 1800's. He had the hazardous job of being a 'Shotfirer'; one who handled the explosives to be used in finding that rich vein of gold.
A classic blend of the traditional stalwarts from the Barossa, this blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre is sourced from older low yielding vines.
Bright crimson in color with purple highlights at the edge of the glass. The nose is lifted and draws you in with ripe plum, mulberry and white pepper. The palate is plush and vibrant with cherries, forest fruits and enticing spice. As silky and smooth as it is complex and savory - the wine is beautifully balanced and juicy with great structure and generous mouthfeel. This classic GSM finishes with long, velvety tannins.
Each variety was destemmed and fermented separately - in small 6 tonne open fermenters - to allow full expression of varietal character. To ensure optimum extraction of tannins, color and flavor the Grenache was pumped over twice daily for a duration of 10 days and both the Shiraz and Mourvedre spent 7 days on skins with pump overs twice daily. Fermentation temperatures were maintained between 22-25 degrees to retain fruit purity. All batches were pressed off and once both primary alcoholic fermentation and secondary malolactic fermentation were complete the wines were then racked to new (10%) and 10 year old French hogsheads where the wines matured for a period of 18 months. Bench blends were created to ensure a harmonious final wine.
Pairs best with slow Cooked Lamb or Roasted Vegetable Medley.