2012 Miles Mossop Wines, Kika, South Africa
Critics reviews
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate #209 - Oct 2013
About this WINE
Miles Mossop Wines
Miles Mossop Wines burst onto the South African wine scene in 2004 when his first wines were made. He is winemaker at fellow Stellenbosch estate, Tokara, where he’s afforded the freedom to vinify 10 tonnes of bought-in grapes for his own label every year.
The aim here is to achieve wines with finesse and elegance but which still display aspects of power and fruit concentration, having great texture while maintaining balance.
Max is named after Miles’s son and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and, more recently, Malbec. It is a truly handcrafted wine showing pure fruit expression and, more importantly, a sense of place.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is an important white grape variety planted in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley and the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa.
In the Loire it produces high quality dry wines in Savenniéres, and luscious sweet, dessert wines in Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. In Vouvray and Montlouis it can be dry, medium dry, or sweet, and still or sparkling. Whether dry or sweet, the best Loire Chenin Blancs possess marvellously concentrated rich, honeyed fruit together with refreshingly vibrant acidity. It is Chenin Blanc's high acidity that enable the wines to age so well.
In South Africa Chenin Blanc is easier to grow and is prized for its versatility. It is used as a cheap blending option with Chardonnay, Colombard, and Muscat but also bottled unblended. The best producers keep their yields low and produce impressive mouthfilling wines.
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Description
The 2012 Kika Noble Late Harvest is pure Chenin Blanc. It was selected from three passages through the vineyard, the fruit picked at 43 Brix with an acidity of 11-grams per liter. After cold storage overnight, the grapes were trodden by foot in a basket press then racked into barrel where the fermentation took place over the following three months. The result was 1,100 gorgeous half-bottles. It has an engaging, fragrant nose of orange blossom, white peach and mango that immediately soars from the glass, a touch of adhesive emerging with time (a trait I often find on mature Barsac.) The palate has a viscous opening with peach and apricot on the entry. It has decent acidity and a slightly resinous, marmalade and quince-tinged finish that is very appealing, carrying the 211-g/L of residual sugar without detracting from freshness and tension.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate #209 - Oct 2013
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