2022 Saskia-Jo

The Miles Mossop Wines 2022 Swartland Saskia is a blend of 67% Chenin Blanc, 15% Clairette Blanche, 9% Viognier and 9% Grenache Blanc. Swartland fruit comes from the mountain behind The Sadie Family vineyard. The Cape White blends represent a throwback style that have regained popularity. The Chenin Blanc was planted in 1978 and has old-vine status. The Clairette Blanche is planted on granite soils that give a pithiness and mineral character to the wine. You also get white flower, almond paste and crème fraîche. The wine ferments in oak, mostly, except for the Clairette Blanche, which only sees concrete. The wine's texture is fleshy and rich, but vintner Miles Mossop has endeavored to slim it down. In the past, he did some skin maceration and used more new wood (now, new oak is only 10%). He decided to harvest earlier, especially the Clairette Blanche. However, the Viognier is picked very ripe, close to 15% potential alcohol, in order to maintain the waxy character and those pretty honey aromas.