2020 John Platter
Every year sees something new for Giant Periwinkle and Cape Town advocate Pierre Rabie, with co-owners Robert Stelzner and Karen van Helden. The cellar, opened in 2018 in the maritime hamlet of Baardskeerdersbos, was joined by tasting facilities (by appointment) in 2019. Now there are new wines, and the team are particularly excited about the pinotage, which they consider a true reflection of its Cape Agulhas origin. Pierre summarises the realisation of a longtime dream as: ‘Making cool-climate wine on a small scale, garagiste style, the way I like it!’
We are open for tasting & sales:
By appointment
Please contact De Wet Groenewald to arrange – 082 465 8350
The Giant Periwinkle Baardbek 2018
(88 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Red blends, other
Cinsaut, shiraz, newly spiced with home-grown viognier, previous included malbec. 2018 maintains house-style approachability & layered satisfaction in its supple, fresh feel, unshowy yet sustained spice, dark berry flavours.
Wine tasted by Angela Lloyd.
Blanc Fumé 2018
The Giant Periwinkle
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Sauvignon blanc wooded
(92 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle Blanc Fumé 2018
(92 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Sauvignon blanc wooded
Invigorating, cool-climate sauvignon, 2018 mixes tropical tones with cutting-edge fruity acids & suggestion of salinity from these seaside vineyards. Ferment in 1,000L Flexcube with new Russian oak insert adds weight, dimension, enhances ageability.
Wine tasted by Angela Lloyd.
The Giant Periwinkle Coenraad de Buys 2018
(83 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Red blends, with pinotage
Multi-source origin for 2018 pinotage, shiraz, cinsaut, dab viognier blend. A little muted, bottled month prior to tasting, with youthful edginess but light touch, decent structure suggest better to come, if not in class of 2017 (4 stars, 87 pts).
Wine tasted by Angela Lloyd.
The Giant Periwinkle Kelp Forest Syrah 2018
(89 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Shiraz/syrah
2018 first since 2015 (87 pts), bigger alcohol (14%), but similar freshness, delicacy as other reds. Lovely fruit purity – soft red berries, white spice – set off by supple texture, fine grape tannins. Even better in year/2. 500L older French oak.
Wine tasted by Angela Lloyd.
The Giant Periwinkle South Cape White 2018
(85 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: White blends, wooded, dry
Unusual take on white Bordeaux. Semillon wholeberry fermented 3 weeks in amphora, blended with older-oak-fermented sauvignon. 2018 interesting heavy silk/grainy texture; youthfully shy, should grow, show better cohesion with few years.
The Giant Periwinkle Sun Spider Pinotage 2018
(91 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Pinotage
Cool-climate pinotage flaunting its pinot noir parentage. 2018 fresh, fragrant cherry & spice notes poised on delicate, lively base; finest of tannins on its dry farewell. A charmer. Just 12% alcohol.
The Giant Periwinkle The Bard 2018
(89 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: White blends, wooded, dry
Cool lemongrass-scented 2018 mainly semillon with important herbal, delicate floral infusion from nouvelle, viognier, splash sauvignon. Old oak fermented, aged in Flexcube without wood to maintain fruit purity & persistence.
The Giant Periwinkle Viognier 2019
(83 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Viognier
Tasted just post-bottling, 2019 agreeably unshowy, subtly oak-spiced. Freshness lifts weighty texture, provides clean, crisp conclusion. May rate higher after time to settle, integrate.
The Giant Periwinkle Wind Scorpion 2018
(90 pts)
The Giant Periwinkle range
Category: Sauvignon blanc unwooded
Unoaked sauvignon, 2018 about structure, racy agile acid, mineral vitality; fruit an undercurrent. Heady freshness, saline length reflection of most southerly, maritime Cape Agulhas vineyards & winemaker’s aim of expressing typicity & place. Interesting potential.
