“Get your cray on… For those with a taste for the unusual.” The label tells you most of what you need to know here; this isn’t your usual Chenin. Sakkie’s idea behind this wine was to create something that spoke unequivocally of its provenance: the largely-unknown West Coast. The vineyards for the Crayfish are located on well-drained sandy soils, about three miles from the cold Atlantic Ocean. The ocean breezes play a crucial role in keeping this wine fresh, as the climate is otherwise quite hot. The 2024 came from the earliest harvest this site has ever seen, driven by intense West Coast heatwaves and an overall early season across the Cape. To capture both vibrancy and depth, part of the fruit was picked early for brightness, with a later pass bringing ripeness and weight. 

Grapes were hand harvested early in the morning, then taken to the cold room and cooled down for one night. This was done before being whole bunch pressed in an old basket press, followed by settling for twelve hours without any addition of enzymes except for a little sulfur. Half of the clear juice was then racked off and sent to stainless steel, with the remaining half going to neutral 500L barrels for spontaneous fermentation. From there, the stainless-steel portion was moved to the same barrels as the other half, and the wine rested here for 11 months. Lees stirring occurred about once a week. The wine was bottled with only a small dosage of sulfur; no fining and just a coarse sheet filtration. 

Tasting Notes: This Chenin feels like the coast, with aromas of kelp on the sand and ocean spray in the air. It’s waxy and textured, with ripe fruit cut by cool Atlantic winds. Tangerine, green apple, dried fynbos, and a whiff of sushi seaweed run through the palate. The finish lingers with tangy acidity and a touch of sea salt.