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 (2024)

Red plum, cranberry and a flinty, pleasantly reductive note lead a nose that is full of ripe red fruits, the savoury edge of tomato leaf and spice from star anise and nutmeg. The palate is compact, generous and fruit forward, supported by cocoa nibs and a wonderfully sappy tannin structure that elongates the finish. 

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