Solitary Owl House Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Jozua Joubert trained as a winemaker, the last cellar he worked at being Warwick in Stellenbosch, before returning to run the family farm Karibib after his father died in 2010. Located in Polkaaidraai, there are 56ha under vineyard and Joubert supplies the likes of Alheit Vineyards, Craven Wines and Radford Dale. Joubert says he “missed the cellar” and from 2014 started making both a Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir (out of the same Devon Valley cellar as utilized by Lukas van Loggerenberg) under the label Solitary Wine – Single Vineyard Projects. Tasting notes and ratings for the current releases as follows:

Too wit too woo.

Solitary Owl House Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Price: R95
30% fermented in barrel, four months on the lees. A subtle and alluring nose – fynbos and dried grass overlay lime, white peach and even a little apricot. The palate is full-bodied and thick-textured but also possesses really punchy acidity while the finish is long and savoury. Most accomplished. Total production: 1 980 bottles. Alcohol: 13%.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Solitary Morning Bell Pinot Noir 2016
Price: R220
From a block planted to Champagne clone PN 52, grapes originally sold to Distell for the production of Pongrácz. One-third whole-bunch fermented, matured for 10 months in old 225-litre barrels. Red and black fruit, olive, earth, a certain bloodiness plus some fresh herbs and spice in the background. Rich and full, quite heavily extracted  so that the wine is at once smooth textured and quite drying on the finish. An “interesting pour” is how Joubert refers to it and that it most certainly is. Total production: 1 260 bottles. Alcohol: 13.5%.

Editor’s rating: 89/100.

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