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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
Natte Valley Cinsaulttext
91POINTS
16¾/20

Natte Valley Cinsault 2019

Coastal Region, South AfricaYoung winemaker Alex Milner suddenly became very cinsault-centric when a professor told him not to bother reading the cinsault chapter in his textbook because it would be worthless to him. Fast forward from that 2011 conversation to today, and The Natte Valleij Cinsault Collective. Alex set out to find forgotten patches of old dryland bush vine cinsault across the Western Cape, expressing their individualities through low-interference winemaking. This is his collective bottling from 5 sites (Wellington, Simonsberg-Paarl, Darling, Swartland, Stellenbosch) showcasing the grape and greater Cape. This was native fermented with up to 30% stalks, and a partial whole bunch, depending on site, After whole bunch fermentation, this spent one year in old oak barrels, foudre, and concrete eggs. This lighter red charms from first whiff, with scrubby fynbos, wild raspberry, wild cherry, wild plum on a juicy 13% palate. Tannins are long and fine, hugging this fresh red to the white pepper finish. Full of typicity, this is a beauty wine to set your SAF cinsault compass to.Tasted: 26 March 2022Tasted by: Treve RingPrices:
BC$30.00750mlprivate wine shops
Producer: Natte ValleijDistributors: Sur Lie
Grape: CinsaultCSPC: 194756UPC: 6009800163322