2019 Spice Route Chakalaka

Charles Back, owner of Spice Route, is one of the pioneers in Swartland. At the end of the 1990s, he found a vineyard with over thirty-year-old Sauvignon Blanc sticks that produced wine of exceptional quality. Together with winemaker Eben Sadie, he planted new grape varieties around this oldest block of Sauvignon, most of them as freestanding shrubs, so-called 'bush vines'. The base of the winery became an old tobacco barn, which used to be called Klein Amoskuil. Spice Route wines quickly became a success!

A combination of two elements is decisive for the success of these and other producers in this innovative region (there is even talk of a 'Swartland Revolution'). First, the deep soils (weathered granite and 'Coffee Cliff') in which the sticks can root deeply to find water. In addition, the climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

The Spice Route Chakalaka (which can be translated as 'leftovers') is the wine that has made The Spice Route very famous internationally. It is a blend of no less than 6 different grapes, all of which come from 1 vineyard. This trend (although it used to be that way) is now also coming back in Spain and Italy and the well-known winemaker Telmo Rodrigues has become familiar with this old-fashioned new trend and only works with vineyards in which there is diversity and therefore different grape varieties.

The Chakalaka is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Tannat, Grenache and Petit Syrah. In the glass, the wine is ruby red with plums and ripe black fruit, cloves, tobacco and vanilla in the nose. In the mouth a very rich structure, ripe tannins. The wine is difficult to place in a box and is simply unique and very beautiful. Perhaps the best match is with an Amarone or a Ripasso because of the jammy character of the wine. Enjoyment with a capital G for a great price.