Savage Thief in the Night Red Blend 2024

Savage Thief in the Night 2024 is a red wine from the Western Cape, South Africa, made with a focus on Grenache as the main grape and supplemented with Cinsault. The vines are dry-farmed bush vines on sandstone soils at altitudes of around 700-704 meters above sea level.

The grapes are carefully sorted, with around 10-20% of the bunches kept whole (whole bunches). The wine is fermented spontaneously (wild yeast), in both open fermentation vats and in foudres, after which it is macerated on the skins for around two weeks. The grapes are then pressed and the wine is aged for around 10 months in foudres and older 500 L French oak barrels.

Flavor and aroma profile

On the nose, you will encounter pure and precise fruit: cherries, strawberries and blackberries, but also more complex elements such as forest floor, herbs and some herbal/Provençal notes, perhaps a little eucalyptus and a touch of medicinal. There is also a clear minerality and earth/sandstone character that gives the scent depth.

In the mouth the wine is well structured with fresh acidity that balances the fruit. The tannins are marked: firm and chalky but not overwhelming – they give a firm grip and ensure that the wine has the potential to mature. The texture is slim and elegant, with fine purity in the fruit. The finish is long, with notes of berries (blackberries, cherries), herbs and some spice, and the salty/mineral character lingers. The alcohol percentage is around 13%; residual sugar is very low (around 2.8 g/l). The pH and acidity level support the freshness and give the wine a lively expression.

Overall impression and maturation

It is a wine that can be enjoyed now, especially if you let it open up a bit, but it also clearly has aging potential — several sources indicate that it could develop well over the next 5-10 years, given the right conditions.