A perfect Pinot Noir from Crystallum
Fuzzy logic
Peter-Allan Finlayson's housekeeping skills are in direct contrast to his winemaking abilities.
While the 28-yearold bachelor's Hermanus home is a shambles, the two examples of Pinot Noir that he made from the 2008 vintage are immaculate, the Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma achieving WINE magazine's highest-possible rating of 5 Stars in this issue, with the Crystallum Peter Max not far behind on 4½ Stars.
There is something of the non-conformist about Finlayson, who started studying winemaking in 2001 but dropped out a year later as he didn't enjoy the formal scientific nature of the course.
Instead, he undertook a BA degree in economics and philosophy, graduating in 2006. It was unlikely that he would forsake winemaking altogether for it is very much in his genes, his father being Peter Finlayson, cellarmaster at acclaimed Hemel-en- Aarde winery Bouchard Finlayson.
Peter-Allan and his brother Andrew, now 32 and an architect by profession, had a love for fine wine instilled in them as part of their upbringing and couldn't resist starting their own label. The year 2007 saw the fi rst bottling of Crystallum wines, including a Pinot Noir.
The maiden effort turned out very reductive, described by Finlayson himself as a "cock-up". He's not at liberty to say how the wine was disposed of, but relates that it was "the perfect kick in the ass": he would have to be a lot more rigorous when it came to winemaking in future if the business was going to succeed.
Quality grapes were essential. Thanks to Bouchard Finlayson and Hamilton Russell Vineyards, the high reputation of Pinot Noir from Hemel-en-Aarde on the outskirts of Hermanus is well established.
The area is going from strength to strength in terms of variety with a number of quality offerings from new and new-ish producers (Creation, Newton Johnson, Domaine and Sumaridge) having hit the market in recent times.
No surprise then that Finlayson sources some of his fruit from a producer in the ward of Hemel-en- Aarde Ridge (the Wine and Spirit Board having lately seen fit to demarcate three official wards, these being Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge).
The other parcel of grapes that Finlayson works with comes from Elgin, itself a ward fast gaining kudos for its Pinot (Oak Valley, Paul Cluver). The superlative Cuvée Cinema 2008 is entirely from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge grapes, while Peter Max 2008 is a blend of 50% Hemelen- Aarde Ridge and 50% Elgin.
The names of the wines are nothing if not whimsical: Finlayson relates that the Hemel-en-Aarde vineyard was previously the location for the shooting of a movie on Napoleon Bonaparte, and hence ‘Cuvée Cinéma'. However, asked whether it is a piece of film we should all have seen, Finlayson says he doesn't know what became of it!
The derivation of the moniker of Finlayson's second Pinot is even more fanciful. He's confident that he's working with some top fruit, and doesn't want to go on record as to precisely which growers are involved, lest other winemakers are tempted to snaffle away said fruit. Fair enough, so why ‘Peter Max'? "Oh, those are the names of the two growers..." Making it up as he goes along, he points out that Peter Max could also reference the pop artist of the same name, whose work supposedly influenced The Beetles in the 1960s. Ultimately, he admits that it "just sounded cool".
Finlayson describes the two wines as "very different animals": the Cuvée Cinéma is the seven best barrels of wine from Hemel-en-Aarde grapes, and is very much the representation of a particular vineyard, while Peter Max is a "winemaking wine", with Finlayson able to indulge his creativity and achieve complexity through blending.
In the cellar, Finlayson reveals that 15% to 20% of the grapes undergo whole-bunch pressing (rather than de-stemming and crushing the berries first) which he feels facilitates both better fruit expression and a "certain dryness" in the end-wine.
He allows fermentation to begin naturally, but subsequently inoculates to ensure the process doesn't go awry and then opts for an extended post-ferment maceration of two to three weeks, which he feels ensures a more elegant tannin structure. "It's like making a cup of tea. Better to leave the bag in longer than a short, fast, heavy extraction with lots of stirring."
Cuvée Cinéma spent 11 months in oak, 85% new and 15% second-fill compared to Peter Max which was in oak for the same period, but only 30% new and the rest second- and third-fill. Finlayson says he uses very lightly toasted barrels that have been exposed to three rather than the standard two years of drying in order to eliminate any overt wood-derived character on his wines.
Contrasting the two wines, he describes Peter Max as having a light floral prettiness as well as a hint of forest floor on the nose while the palate is elegant with good fruit purity and soft tannins. Cuvée Cinéma meanwhile shows more focus in terms of fruit and more palate weight. Flavour descriptors include strawberry and cassis as well as caramel and oak spice.
In essence, it's a more serious wine that should take longer to reach its peak, which he suggests as being around 2013 to 2015. A somewhat modest estimation regarding longevity? "In South Africa, we're way too gung-ho about how long our wines can last."
In any event, it's debatable whether or not any of the wine will be around that long. Total production of the Cuvée Cinéma was 2 100 bottles, while Peter Max amounted to 5 500. Finlayson does not sell directly to the public, but look out for the wines in boutique wine shops, Cuvée Cinéma selling for around R220 a bottle and Peter Max for R160.
Also available is a Sauvignon Blanc 2009, while the 2009 vintage of established label Clay Shales Chardonnay will be joined by the maiden 2009 La Grande Agnes Chardonnay this month. The latter wine honours Peter-Allan's great-grandmother, apparently "large in stature and personality" and the first female of Cape Town to obtain her driver's licence.
The irrepressible Finlayson relates that as of the 2010 vintage, he is making a Syrah Grenache blend with grapes sourced from the Swartland. Asked if he thinks of himself as a selftaught winemaker, he replies that he is rather "father-taught". And who better to learn from?
Peter Finlayson was involved in setting up Hamilton Russell Vineyards during the 1980s, but left in November 1990 to begin Bouchard Finlayson and has been there ever since. Perhaps the most crucial insight gleaned from his old man is the need for a winemaker to respect the fruit he works with.
"He impressed on me that while the role of the winemaker is crucial, it is one of steering the process to an eventual outcome rather than moulding a wine according to a pre-ordained recipe."
For all the excitement that local Pinot is generating at the moment, it should be acknowledged that plantings are limited - at the end of 2008 total area under vineyard amounted to just 727ha out of a total of 101 325ha - and the knowledge base among producers is set to expand rapidly.
"We need to realise from the outset that we're not Burgundy," says Finlayson. "We need to put growing practices in place that are adapted to local conditions."Finlayson holds Hemel-en-Aarde in high regard as a source of quality Pinot. "It might not be nearly as cool relative to some European growing areas, but it's certainly cooler than Stellenbosch, which is good for the variety as it is early ripening and you want the longest possible time on the vine to enhance flavour development." In addition, the clay soils that predominate allow Pinot "to prosper, but not prosper too much".
Regarding the vineyard in Hemel-en- Aarde Ridge where he obtained grapes for Cuvée Cinema 2008, he went for the bestpossible fruit concentration by restricting yields: plant density is a high 6 000 vines/ ha compared to the usual 3 000 to 4 000 vines/ha and he took off six tons/ha, the equivalent of less than 1kg of grapes a vine.
As for Elgin, it may be vying for its Pinot Noir to carry the same prestige as Hemel-en-Aarde, but Finlayson reckons that the wines "don't yet have quite the same fruit". He's not sure why, other than to suggest that the best sites are yet to be isolated.
"There are clay-rich pockets in Elgin. It's about getting the balance between soil and climate right." Finlayson, however, is not one naturally inclined to making definitive pronouncements about the state of the industry.
Instead, you get the impression that he is having a blast messing about with grapes. He reckons that it was only in 2007 during visits to Burgundy and Priorat that he began to "feel the force", taken with the unaffected approach of the locals towards winemaking.
"I loved the lack of bull. Music, family and completely traditional methods." To date, Crystallum Wines have been homeless, or at least itinerant with the 2007 vintage having been made at Creation, 2008 and 2009 at La Vierge and 2010 at Luddite.
However, the Finlayson brothers have acquired a share of a property called Crystal Kloof, halfway between Hermanus and Stanford, and are building a cellar, which should be ready for the 2011 harvest.
As might be expected, there is little that is conventional about the set-up: walls are constructed out of straw bales covered in a slurry of clay from the property and recycled paper, which has the advantage of being cheap to build, ecofriendly and providing excellent insulation.
The property, 140ha in size, is currently under indigenous fynbos and Finlayson is toying with the idea of a small vineyard of possibly Nebbiolo but, as he points out, there are quality sites in close proximity so there is no pressing need to establish their own vineyards. The cellar itself will have capacity for 80 tons but Finlayson insists, "I want Crystallum to be a small, intimate operation."
South Africa's next cult winery? It certainly has all the makings of it while remaining refreshingly free of pretension.
WHAT TO EAT WITH CRYSTALLUM PINOT NOIR
Peter-Allan Finlayson says his ideal food match with either example of Crystallum Pinot Noir would be roast duck with a nectarine glaze.
He promptly qualifies this by saying that care must be taken to avoid dishes with an accompaniment or preparation that is too sweet as these can make the wine appear bitter. Nor should the dish be too heavy: chicken, any game bird and darker fish such as tuna, dorado and salmon are well suited to Pinot Noir.
Restaurants that Finlayson believes have an ethos suited to his wines include: Jardine, 185 Bree Street, Cape Town. Tel 021 424 5640.
La Colombe, Constantia Uitsig Estate, Spaanschemat Road, Constantia. Tel 021 794 2390.
"Both establishments have waiting staff that show sensitivity to what food the guest has ordered and have the knowledge to recommend an appropriate wine accordingly."
CRYSTALLUM WINES
ESTATE: Walker Bay
CONTACT: 082 420 2142
peter@crystallumwines.com
www.crystallumwines.com
OWNERS: Andrew and
Peter-Allan Finlayson
WINEMAKER: Peter-Allan Finlayson
(since 2007)
TASTINGS: By appointment only
ESTABLISHED: 2007
PRODUCTION: 15 000 litres pa
UNDER VINE: None. Grapes bought in.
WINE PORTFOLIO:
WHITE: Clay Shales Chardonnay;
La Grande Agnes Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc
RED: Peter Max Pinot Noir;
Cuvée Cinéma Pinot Noir
