Cape Wines - Crystallum Pinot Noir Masterpiece Set

Six Pinot Noirs, six sites, one family

Crystallum is among South Africa’s finest Pinot Noir producers. Brothers Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson are the third generation of a winemaking family and the sons of the man who established Pinot Noir in the Hemel-en-Aarde. They founded Crystallum in 2007, and since 2008 they have vinified exclusively Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, using wild yeasts and minimal intervention. This masterpiece set brings together six Pinots and illustrates how strongly site and whole-cluster inclusion shape the wine: from the regional blend Peter Max to the single-vineyard cuvées Cinéma, Bona Fide, Mabalel, and Litigo, through to the rarity The Whole Bunch, for which the 2019 vintage was the last. A set for Pinot lovers, Burgundy enthusiasts, and collectors.

The six bottles in the set

• Crystallum Peter Max Pinot Noir 2024 Named after Peter and Max, the growers who supplied the grapes for the first vintage. Today it is a blend of seven sites, including vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, on Shaw's Mountain, and in Elandskloof. Damson plum, cherry, wild strawberry, and cocoa nibs, with a fine earthiness; on the palate, rhubarb, cranberry, and grippy tannins. Platter 5 stars with 95 points.
• Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma Pinot Noir 2021 The name commemorates the filming of a Napoleon movie that took place on the property before the vines were planted. A barrel selection from a single vineyard in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, densely planted with Dijon clones. Red and black cherry, rose, fynbos, and a hint of earth; delicate and precise, with radiant fruit purity and powdery tannins. Winemag 96 points.
• Crystallum Bona Fide Pinot Noir 2021 From a warmer site on stony shale in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Dark cherry, cassis, fine herbs, and white pepper; concentrated, fresh, and grippy on the palate, with clarity, energy, and a long, dry finish. Not without power and possessing a distinctive charm.
• Crystallum Mabalel Pinot Noir 2021 From the Kaaimansgat ("Crocodile Cave") farm in Elandskloof, situated at around 700 meters and surrounded by mountains that are often snow-capped in winter. The only wine in the series fermented entirely without stems. Red and black cherry, ripe orange, violets, herbs, and white pepper; round, lush, and creamy, with very fine tannins. Winemag 94 points.
• Crystallum Litigo Pinot Noir 2023 From a cool, south-facing site on Shaw's Mountain, just outside the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, on Bokkeveld shale and clay. Crystallum owned the site together with a lawyer friend, hence the name: "Litigo" stands for litigation. Floral nose with mulberry, wild herbs, goji berry, pomegranate, and orange zest; spicy, lively, and focused. Tim Atkin 96 points.
• Crystallum The Whole Bunch Pinot Noir 2019 Originally an experiment, fermented entirely with whole bunches. 2019 was the final vintage of this wine, making it a true rarity. Complex and multi-layered, with the juiciness and minerality typical of whole-cluster fermentation, spicy, green-blackberry notes, and lively tannins, now beautifully matured.

At a glance: 6 bottles of 0.75 l each, red wine (Pinot Noir), South Africa, dry. Best served slightly chilled at 14 to 16 degrees Celsius in a Burgundy glass.

Vinification

• Crystallum Peter Max Pinot Noir 2024: 100% Pinot Noir from seven sites. Spontaneous fermentation, about half destemmed, the rest as whole bunches, gentle extraction, approximately four weeks on the skins in total. 10 months in 228- to 500-liter barrels, no new wood. Western Cape.
• Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma Pinot Noir 2021: 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard, barrel selection. Around 60% whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged in French oak barrels. Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.
• Crystallum Bona Fide Pinot Noir 2021: 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard on stony shale. Around 70% whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged in French oak barrels. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
• Crystallum Mabalel Pinot Noir 2021: 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard at approx. 700 m above sea level. Fully destemmed, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged in French oak barrels. Elandskloof.
• Crystallum Litigo Pinot Noir 2023: 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard on Bokkeveld shale and clay, trellis-trained. Partly whole bunches, the rest destemmed as whole berries, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel, about five weeks of post-fermentation maceration. 11 months in French oak barrels (10% new). Overberg (Shaw's Mountain).
• Crystallum The Whole Bunch Pinot Noir 2019: 100% Pinot Noir, 100% whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in small, open-top fermenters. Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.

Pairs with: Duck breast, game birds, fillet of veal, grilled salmon and tuna, mushroom risotto, truffles, coq au vin, charcuterie, Comté, and soft cheeses such as Brie or Vacherin.