“First Growth Quality” Tim Atkin MW
Crystallum is a family-run and privately-owned winery based in the Walker Bay region of South Africa.
Brothers Andrew and Peter-Allan are the third generation of Finlayson winemakers and sons of the man who pioneered Pinot Noir winemaking in the Hemel-en-Aarde region. Andrew is an architect by training and Peter-Allan a student of philosophy and economics, but it didn’t take long for the lure of wine to take effect, with Andrew drawn to the vineyards and Peter-Allan to the cellar.
The company was founded in 2007 when it produced just over four thousand bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. The following vintage saw the introduction of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Crystallum now produces these Burgundian varieties exclusively, making up its collection with multi-vineyard blends and single-vineyard wines.
“We strive to find a balance between using old-world methods and traditions while keeping in tune with the vineyards we source our fruit from. This philosophy is followed through in the cellar, where we nurture what comes off the vines rather than manipulating the fruit to fit a predetermined outcome.”
Peter-Allan Finlayson, Winemaker
Cork Talk with Peter-Allan Finlayson
Peter-Allan Finlayson is the scion of one of the most famous and important families in the Cape wine industry – and he’s extremely talented in his own right, equally at home making Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, [...]