David Finlayson The Pepper Pot 2018
Bunch selection done on sorting table for all components of this wine. Majority of ferments are conducted in open 1.5 ton tanks with the Shiraz component done in a closed 12 ton tank – partial stems incorporated in the shiraz ferment – for spiciness. Fruit is bag pressed. Post ferment maceration is done for an average of 7 days. During that time, punchdowns and pumpovers are conducted twice a day for roughly 20 mins at a time. Wine is racked to combination of used French and American oak for 8 to 12 months, depending on cultivar. During the maturation process, wine is racked twice. The assemblage is done with the goal of creating a wine with color intensity, soft tannins, spiciness, texture and length on the palate. It is fined with Vegecol and a slight sulfur adjustment is done pre-bottling. Roughly 80,000 bottles are made.
2018 – 90 pts Tim Atkin
David is a huge fan of the Rhone. Here he wanted to create his interpretation of a southern Rhone style blend where the fruit and tannins are at the forefront of the wine, and the wood is barely noticeable.
The Pepper Pot is labelled as “Coastal” and is a blend of fruit from both Paarl and Stellenbosch – roughly 20/80 split. Paarl brings opulence and darker fruits, while Stellenbosch brings redder fruit and a touch of savory, spiciness. The image on the label is a traditional ethnic cast iron cooking pot – common in most African households. Given that most of the continent of Africa cooks over an open flame, requiring that all meal components be blended in the same pot – ethnic African cuisine tends to be savory and sometimes spicy. Using Rhone varietals in this blend, helps to pay homage to the cuisine of Africa as well.
