De Kleine Wijn Koöp portfolio tasting

De Kleine Wijn Koöp is a side-project of Rohan Etsebeth and Jan Solms of Stellenbosch design studio Fanakalo plus videographer and good friend Faan Rabie allowing the three to put some niche wines in cool packaging. It all started when they got some wine as payment in kind for some design work for a leading Swartland winemaker some six years ago and today they have four wines available, tasting notes and ratings as follows:

Niche product.

Hoendertande Grenache 2016
Price: R230
W.O. Piekenierskloof. Red cherry and strawberry plus a subtle earthy note on the nose. Light bodied with lovely pure fruit, fresh acidity and very fine tannins. A slight spicy quality to the finish thanks to whole-bunch fermentation.

Editor’s rating: 89/100.

Ou Treffer Cinsaut 2016
Price: R230
From a Stellenbosch vineyard planted in 1952. The nose shows some floral perfume before sour cherry and plums. The palate is a little broader, the finish a little more savoury than its counterpart above but only just.

Editor’s rating: 89/100.

Knapsekêrel Cabernet Franc 2015
Price: R250
From a biodynamic Stellenbosch vineyard.  Red fruit, mint and other herbs plus some earth on the nose. Light and fresh with fine tannins – perhaps a bit underdone.

Editor’s rating: 88/100.

Heimwee Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Price: R250
From a biodynamic Stellenbosch vineyard.   Red and black berries, fresh herbs and violets. The palate is medium bodied yet possesses good fruit definition and lovely freshness, the finish wonderfully long and dry. With an alcohol of just 13%, this very elegant wine recalls the area’s best Cabs of yesteryear.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

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