Golden Phoenix vs the White Lotus Sauvignon Blanc Semillon NV

Kyle Martin of Caravel Wines is obviously having fun with his various collaborations that see small-batch, one-off bottlings coming to market. His Bring the Ruckus Carignan 2019 picked up various awards at the Label Design Awards 2020 and now he’s launched Golden Phoenix vs the White Lotus Sauvignon Blanc Semillon NV packaged under six different labels.

Made by Andri Hanekom of Bloemendal, the wine consists of 65% later-harvested Sauvignon Blanc from 2021 (White Lotus) and 35% earlier-harvested wooded Semillon (Golden Phoenix). The nose shows lime, white peach, fresh herbs and a hint of reduction while the palate is light bodied with crisp acidity. Everybody was kung-fu but, in this instance, not at all fright’ning. Price: R160 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 89/100.

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