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Craven Wines
From Stellenbosch's Devon Valley, and its iron rich clay soils at 300m, this clone S22 syrah was planted in 2002. Unlike Jeanine and Mick's other reds, syrah is always entirely whole bunch. This rested with skins for 9 days, before moving into open top stainless bins for foot trodding and native ferment. It then spends 10ish months in concrete.
Perfumed blackberry, boysenberry, dark violets course through this darker shaded, though medium bodied syrah, with firm tannins pinning in the sides, and the clay soils and 2024 vintage adding a shade more heft to the core. Cracked peppercorn linger on the stony finish, welcoming partnering with herb-decked lamb.
"Grapes from Devon Valley. 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tank before maturation in concrete. Alluring aromatics of violets, black berries, a pleasant leafy note and pepper. The palate is beautifully sappy and harmonious – excellent fruit concentration and bright acidity before appropriately firm tannins, the finish super-dry and persistent. Best release yet. Alc: 13%.” 96 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag,
Vintage: 2024
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $42
Style: Still
Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa
Grape: Syrah
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes
Craven Wines
From Stellenbosch's Devon Valley, and its iron rich clay soils at 300m, this clone S22 syrah was planted in 2002. Unlike Jeanine and Mick's other reds, syrah is always entirely whole bunch. This rested with skins for 9 days, before moving into open top stainless bins for foot trodding and native ferment. It then spends 10ish months in concrete.
Perfumed blackberry, boysenberry, dark violets course through this darker shaded, though medium bodied syrah, with firm tannins pinning in the sides, and the clay soils and 2024 vintage adding a shade more heft to the core. Cracked peppercorn linger on the stony finish, welcoming partnering with herb-decked lamb.
"Grapes from Devon Valley. 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tank before maturation in concrete. Alluring aromatics of violets, black berries, a pleasant leafy note and pepper. The palate is beautifully sappy and harmonious – excellent fruit concentration and bright acidity before appropriately firm tannins, the finish super-dry and persistent. Best release yet. Alc: 13%.” 96 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag,
Vintage: 2024
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $42
Style: Still
Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa
Grape: Syrah
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes
Alexana Winery
Though named Terroir Series, this is a Willamette-wide blend of various soils and clones. The wine is a selection of barrels from the dry farmed younger blocks of the Revana vineyard in Dundee Hills, along with vineyards in Yamhill-Carlton, Eola-Amity, Chehalem Mountains, and McMinnville, and clones Pommard, 115, 777, Wadenswil, 667, La Tache, 943, 114, 828, Coury, and 113. Each lot is separately native fermented whole berry before aging 11 months in French oak (23% new). Forest, wild cherry, fresh moss, and pretty florals rule the silken palate, sided with fine, long tannins and finishing with a gently warming baking spice note. Quite polished and fresh, this medium bodied wine is drinking ideal now with any kind of mushroom / duck dishes.
“Vivacious and expressive, with sleek raspberry and cherry flavors laced with rose petal, orange peel and hints of forest floor as this sails on the long, supple finish. Drink now through 2030. 6,490 cases made.” - 93 points, Tim Fish, Wine Spectator
Read more about Alexana Winery here.
Vintage: 2021
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $65
Style: Still
Region: Oregon
Appellation: Willamette Valley AVA
Country: USA
Grape: Pinot Noir
Colour: Red
Vegan: No
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: No
Minimus
Minimus
Chardonnay Dijon Free
No Dijon clones were harmed in the making of this wine. Though Dijon clones are prevalent throughout the Willamette, they wanted to create a wine using only heirloom clones. This used Calera, Old Wenté, Musqué, Mt. Eden, Mendoza, and spent 16 months in 30% new French oak. Showing beautiful evolution, but still shining, with shimmery lemon and a buzzy undercurrent livening yellow and green apple, pear skin, subtle toast on a layered palate. Polished and impressive, reflective of the striking potential for Willamette Chardonnay.
"Beautiful chardonnay, as rich, sumptuous and unctuous as one could want from the Willamette, but also this stony and flinty subtlety running through the wine's interior like a hidden treasure of a message. So graceful and gracious, clearly exulting a sense of vineyard pace and place coaxed graciously by the people who work to make this fruit so real and proper. Excellence incarnate for a "Dijon-free" clonal iteration of the standard variety, opted for and exulted instead by that which is truly local. Drink 2023-2027. Tasted November 2023.” - 94 points, Michael Godel, WineAlign.com
"The first chardonnay I have seen promoted as Dijon-free, a reference to the invasion of French Dijon clones in recent years. It uses more 'native' clonal stock instead - Calera, Wente, Musque and others - and signals a reversion to American chardonnay of old. Indeed the very ripe banana, floral and buttery/custardy notes, complete with oodles of clove/nutmeg barrel spice - does recall the 80s. It is full bodied, off-dry warm and very rich. The texture is quite silky and the heat is on, yet the acidity holds. All kinds of complexity and power here, with excellent to outstanding length. The name of the wine is given a signal to the style but it is oblique. Tasted November 2023" - 93 points, David Lawrason, WineAlign.com
"Work past the creepy front label, and the tongue-in-cheek "Dijon free" mention on the back label (a reference to the proliferation of the so-called Dijon clones of chardonnay, whose arrival and spread in the early 1990s signalled the beginning of serious quality chardonnay in Oregon), and get on to the serious wine contained within, one with marked barrel influence and rancid butter flavours in a classical style. The palate is fullish and intensely flavoured, with resinous oak notes and lemon curd, creme brulée flavours. One can't argue with the flavour intensity and concentration - off-the-charts high, and the superb length, bold, dense and powerful. Similar quality from Napa would command a far higher price. Drink or hold short term - I'd capture with the remaining fruit intact, even though it's anything but a fruity wine. Tasted November 2023.” - 93 points, John Szabo, MS, WineAlign.com
"Cheekily labelled as a "Dijon Free Chardonnay", this assemblage is made from only heirloom clones such as Calera, Old Wenté, Musqué, Mt. Eden and Mendoza that have matured for 16 months in 30% new French oak. Despite the fact that the oak is quite prevalent on the palate, the wine is not heavy and exhibits a great deal of lift from acidity. Aging gracefully, there is very little oxidation noted and the fruit is still generous on the palate. A pleasant degree of nuttiness has surfaced adding to the overall complexity. Showing a notable stamp of place and a low-intervention cleanliness. The label is a bit dark and enigmatic in contrast with the wine. Best now to 2027. Tasted November 2023." - 93 points, Sarah d'Amato, WineAlign.com
Vintage: 2017
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 12
Price per Bottle: $55
Style: Still
Region: Oregon
Appellation: Willamette Valley AVA
Country: USA
Grape: Chardonnay
Colour: White
Vegan: No
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes