Craig's (aka Elemental Bob) business card describes him as a “natural or authentic winemaker”. Let there be no doubt that Craig is a truly gifted and focussed winemaker (albeit as Wade his neighbour, mate and fellow vigneron says, “it’s more anti-winemaking than winemaking”) but these are not wines that are made to any sort of recipe. These are wines from the student school of cookery – a case of creating the very best that one can from what happens to be available. Ok, that’s something of an exaggeration but blends and winemaking strategies are evolving from year to year with no formulas or recipes involved.
W.O. Western Cape (Darling, Wellington, Durbanville)
Spontaneous fermentation, 3 days on skins
Pressed, at 18 balling, to old French barrel with lees to finish alcoholic and malolactic ferment
10 Months maturation
No fining
Awards/Scores
Tim Atkin: 93
Platter: 4.5 Stars
Tasting Note
Deep in colour, the nose shows naartjie, yellow peach and apple plus dried flowers and spice, honey and a little nuttiness. Full and broad on the palate with tangy acidity and a pithy finish. Food friendly
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
W.O. Western Cape (Darling, Wellington, Durbanville)
Spontaneous fermentation, 3 days on skins
Pressed, at 18 balling, to old French barrel with lees to finish alcoholic and malolactic ferment
10 Months maturation
No fining
Awards/Scores
Tim Atkin: 93
Platter: 4.5 Stars
Tasting Note
Deep in colour, the nose shows naartjie, yellow peach and apple plus dried flowers and spice, honey and a little nuttiness. Full and broad on the palate with tangy acidity and a pithy finish. Food friendly
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
pressed around 16 balling to tank, then immediately taken to barrel where fermentation completed
All wine into old French barrels
80% of the lees went to barrel
Lees stirred every 2 weeks for the first 4 months, then monthly for 4 monts, last 2 months no stirring
Wine raced before bottling - 10 months maturation
Rough filtration only
Tasting Note
A complex nose of citrus, apple, peach and apricot as well as hay and spice plus a not unpleasant note of reduction. Extremely flavourful on the palate. Not too lean or too thick in texture and possessing lovely freshness a real succulence upfront before a nice pithy quality to the finish
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
About the Wine
44% Chenin Blanc, 22% Semillon, 11% Roussanne, 5% Verdelho
12 Barres/600 x 6 cases created
3 Days skin ferment
Pressed, at 20 balling, to old french barrel with lees to finish alcoholic and malolactic ferment
10 Months maturation
No fining
Awards/Scores
Tim Atkin. 94
Platter. 4 Stars
Tasting Note
Fresh pastry, pear, quince, lemon, orange and peach plus some yeasty complexity on the nose. Light bodied with lovely fruit definition. Layers of flavour, remarkable complexity and fresh acid.
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
W.O. Western Cape (Darling, Wellington, Durbanville)
Spontaneous fermentation, 3 days on skins
Pressed, at 18 balling, to old French barrel with lees to finish alcoholic and malolactic ferment
10 Months maturation
No fining
Awards/Scores
Tim Atkin: 93
Platter: 4.5 Stars
Tasting Note
Deep in colour, the nose shows naartjie, yellow peach and apple plus dried flowers and spice, honey and a little nuttiness. Full and broad on the palate with tangy acidity and a pithy finish. Food friendly
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
W.O. Western Cape (Darling, Wellington, Durbanville)
Spontaneous fermentation, 3 days on skins
Pressed, at 18 balling, to old French barrel with lees to finish alcoholic and malolactic ferment
10 Months maturation
No fining
Awards/Scores
Tim Atkin: 93
Platter: 4.5 Stars
Tasting Note
Deep in colour, the nose shows naartjie, yellow peach and apple plus dried flowers and spice, honey and a little nuttiness. Full and broad on the palate with tangy acidity and a pithy finish. Food friendly
Find out more at elementalbob.co.za
Size 75cl
Closure Cork
Allergens Sulphites
