Crystallum 'Mabalel' Pinot Noir 2025

PRODUCER'S NOTES Mabalel takes its name from a poem by the renowned South African writer, naturalist and polymath Eugene Marais. The poem recounts the story of a local chieftain's daughter, Mabalel, who was ambushed while fetching water from the Limpopo River by the crocodile Lalele. The vineyard is planted on Kaaimansgat Farm, which translates as "Crocodile's Lair", and a river flows past the site. Situated at an altitude of 700 metres and surrounded by dramatic mountains, whose peaks are often snow-capped during winter, it is one of South Africa's most distinctive vineyard locations. Latest Release (2025) Pretty, ethereal and highly perfumed. Aromas of raspberry, wild strawberry, tomato leaf and green tobacco lead into a palate that is juicy, supple and finely detailed. Notes of rhubarb, cranberry and orange peel are complemented by a subtle saline freshness on the finish, bringing energy and lift. A linear, precise and elegant expression of the vintage. Vinification The fruit was naturally fermented with 100% destemmed berries. Extraction was kept deliberately gentle throughout fermentation, with a total of four weeks spent on skins to preserve the vineyard's purity, finesse and aromatic complexity.