CRAVEN'S ANNE FAURE PINOT NOIR

WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE

100% Pinot Noir from Stellenbosch, South Africa, where a belt of decomposed granite give the wines an energetic, saline minerality. 2024 was extremely windy, yielding tiny clusters with intense skin-to-juice ratios; and that concentrated fruit is on full display here, with de-stemmed whole berries fermented in concrete tank for 8 days. It was then pressed into a mix of stainless steel tank and concrete squares (Craven has phased out all use of oak as of 2024), and bottled after 10 months.

It's a playful, buoyant wine, with wild strawberries and savory black tea.

WHO MAKES IT

Mick and Jeanine Craven of Craven Wines: an Australian who fell in love with a South African and settled to make wine near her family home after he was bit by the early days of the Swartland Revolution. 'Anne Faure' is their new extension project named for their children, and a convenient play on words that sounds like "amphora," a nod to their extensive use of concrete in the winery.

WHY WE DIG IT

We've just loved everything in Craven's 2024 release. Following our spring evening with Mick and his friend Craig Hawkins (Testalonga), we've since featured the Cinsault last month (one of the greatest sites for the grape, anywhere!), and used his insane Pinot Gris for our Blind Tasting group last week.

To see a ripping $20 Pinot Noir from a talent we love, is pure joy (probably don't need to tell you, that's bananas pricing these days...)

HOW WE'RE DRINKING IT

This is a bottle built for accessibility across the board – perfect for a half case to become your holiday house wine.

SHOP CRAVEN PINOT