{"title":"Crystallum | Walker Bay","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Walker Bay Vineyards in South Africa\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/CollectionBanner_9ec8a3e3-47e0-44b4-bf88-2580bc50407c.jpg?v=1694709734\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrystallum was established in 2007 by brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson. Their father, Peter, was a pioneer in the production of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Bouchard Finlayson, so after university it seemed the natural thing for the boys to return home and source some fruit from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to start their own label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Crystallum is one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa and is at the forefront of the ‘New Wave’ movement. In 2021 Peter-Allan was named Tim Atkin MW’s ‘South African Winemaker of the Year’. He is always on the lookout for new vineyards and with each vintage he strives to make even better wines. The winemaking has evolved over the years, with all the wines now fermented by wild yeasts and use of new oak reduced to help the bright fruit shine through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"crystallum-peter-max-pinot-noir","title":"Crystallum 'Peter Max' Pinot Noir 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Crystallum ‘Peter Max’ Pinot Noir is made with grapes sourced from five different vineyards, including two in the Hemel-en-Aarde, one near Clay Shales, one outside Villiersdorp and a new high altitude, inland site. Peter and Max are the first names of the growers who supplied the fruit for the first vintage of this wine. The different sites experience altitude and cooling sea breezes, which slow down the grape ripening process, resulting in grapes with excellent concentration of flavour and balanced, fresh acidity. After fermentation the wine was aged in 228 litre and 500 litre, lightly toasted French oak barrels for nine months, 10% of which was new. The wine was bottled after a light filtration. A slightly more savoury and distinctly Burgundian expression featuring enhanced earthiness from cloves and tree bark. The red fruits are there in abundance, most notably wild strawberries and rhubarb, while there is a red apple skin quality to the tannins. The finish is all crushed mulberries and salted cherries, adding a moreish finish that makes the wine dangerously drinkable in spite of its ageing potential. [#intro]A moreish and dangerously drinkable Pinot Noir in spite of its ageing potential...[\/intro]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Crystallum","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40619459149891,"sku":"A24CRYSTALLUMPETERMAXPN","price":33.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/PeterMaxPNBottle.jpg?v=1695232833"},{"product_id":"crystallum-clay-shales-hemel-en-aarde-chardonnay","title":"Crystallum 'Clay Shales' Chardonnay 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Crystallum 'Clay Shales' Chardonnay is grown in the 'Clay Shales' single vineyard, the name of which is derived from the soil composition here: predominately clay and shale. This combination allows for optimum fruit development while naturally restricting vigour. The vineyard sits at 300 metres above sea level in the mountains behind the town of Hermanus in the Walker Bay region. Altitude and cooling sea breezes slow down the grape ripening process, resulting in grapes with excellent concentration of flavour balanced by a vibrant acidity. At the winery, the grapes were gently pressed as whole clusters to obtain a very clear juice. The juice was left to settle in tanks and then racked into 500-litre French and Austrian oak barrels (25% of which were new), where the wine fermented naturally and remained on its lees for 10 months, gaining textural complexity. It was bottled by hand with no filtration or cold stabilisation to retain maximum intensity of flavour and character. This complex yet fresh Chardonnay displays white pear notes and banoffee pie's richness and depth. The palate is textured, showing notes of lemon peel, salted macadamia, and oatmeal. It is a generous expression of the single vineyard site with an impressive ability to age. [#intro]This complex, fresh \u0026amp; textured Chardonnay is undoubtedly one of South Africa's best...[\/intro]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Crystallum","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41622823206979,"sku":"A23CRYSTALLUMCLAYSHALES-1","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/ClayShalesChardonnayBt.jpg?v=1720164101"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/collections\/Collection_Image_fa039503-2073-408a-af06-7d5a7b9d7677.jpg?v=1694709979","url":"https:\/\/hic.wine\/collections\/crystallum-walker-bay\/crystallum.oembed","provider":"Hic!","version":"1.0","type":"link"}