Pitch perfect Semillon, although do not hesitate to give it a really good swirl. So very briar-y and brambley, with such piquancy, and tang – think the finest French creme fraiche with macerated yellow peppers, struck flint, tangerine and just a little tree bark and medicinal herbs. The weight is lovely – not quite that waxy lanolin character that Semillon takes on with age, but certainly on the path. It finishes with the merest hint of bitter pithiness, orange peel and some bruised rosemary. This is such a superb example of the ageing potential of Semillon.Only Jolette’s second release, I’m your Huckleberry incorporates skin contact and whole bunches in the fermentation, but is a very mild version without too much grip.

#Tasting#

From the Platter Guide’s Newcomer of the Year 2022, The Vineyard party is one of South Africa’s most exciting new micro-producers! Winemaker Jolette Steyn seeks out sustainably farmed vineyards that prioritise biodiversity, and works with avant-garde, low intervention techniques in the cellar. Both unusually named wines come with wonderful stories behind them too.“I’m your Huckleberry”has two meanings: it is a phrase from a nineties Western, called Tombstone, and a particular scene where Val Kilmer’s character shows up to a duel and delivers this line. It signifies acceptance of a challenge, saying ‘I’m the one you’re looking for’; ‘Call me, I’ll answer’; ‘Tell me where, I’ll show up/I’ll be there’, ‘I’m it’. So,in part, it’s a chat between Smillon and herself, saying ‘Let’s do this, let’s be there, let’s show up!’ It was also the name of a black Labrador whom Jolette loved dearly, and part of the team of her favourite and most influential harvest team in a small town called Lompoc in California.