Thistle & Weed | Khakibos | 2022
Thistle & Weed | Khakibos | 2022
This one is a real crowd-pleaser, there wasn’t anyone at our first tasting who didn’t love it. Another unusual and further evolved blend from the winemaker/viticulturist duo, Stephanie Wiid and Etienne Terblanche - a base of Verdelho (41%) from Stellenbosch and Chenin Blanc (28%) from Paarl, with splashes of Palomino (17%) from Piekenierskloof, Alvarinho (10%) from Wellington, and Fernão Pires (4%) from the gravelly soils along the Breede River. Like all Thistle & Weed wines, the name comes from a weed, Khakibos (Southern Marigold in English), that stems from foreign shores but is remarkably comfortable in the Cape climate - very much like Verdelho and Chenin Blanc! 12.5% Alcohol.
Nose & palate
Aromas of neroli (bitter orange), preserved lemon, and toasted brioche. The richly layered, and expressive palate is kept in line by a searing acidity finishing with a sherbet tang.
Pairing
Bring out the tapas or seafood paella.
Accolades
95 Points - Wine Magazine
About Thistle & Weed
An independent collaboration between winemaker Stephanie Wiid and viticulturist Etienne Terblanche. Together, they set out to discover the best of the Cape’s hidden gems, intent on crafting honest natural wines that are made with a deep connection to nature and offer the most simple expression of the terroir from which they come.
They immediately gained critical acclaim for their Chenin Blanc in particular and now produce three different Chenins from three different old-vine sites around the Cape. Stephanie employs the same minimal intervention winemaking approach to produce pure, site-specific wines. Their wines are Afrikaans names for different thistles and weeds found amongst the vines grown in the Cape. Etienne and Steph draw parallels between thistles and weeds and the uncompromising tenacity and survival skills of grapevines.
