MALABEL PINOT NOIR

Mabalel Pinot Noir

Mabalel is named after a poem by the legendary South African polymath Eugene Marais, which tells the story of a local chieftain’s daughter of the same name who was ambushed while fetching water from the Limpopo river by the crocodile, Lalele. The vineyard is planted on ‘Kaaimansgat’ farm - meaning Crocodile’s lair - and a river flows past the vineyard. The site is 700m high and surrounded by dramatic mountains, with peaks that are are often snow-capped in winter.

Latest release (2025)

Pretty, ethereal and perfumed — the nose showing raspberries, wild strawberry, tomato leaf and green tobacco. The mouthfeel is juicy and supple, with rhubarb, cranberry, orange peel and a touch of briny salinity at the end that refreshes the palate and lifts the wine. A linear, precise and elegant vintage.

Vinification

Naturally fermented with 100% of the fruit de-stemmed. Extraction is kept to a minimum during active fermentation with a total time of 4 weeks on the skins.

Technical Analysis