Thistle & Weed Khakibos White Blend 2024

Producer Profile

Inspired by the Cape’s encroaching weeds, tough, tolerant and resilient. The wines themselves are named after the weeds that grow amongst the vines and are a reminder of the uniqueness of South Africa. Fruit is sourced from regions across the Western Cape, Swartland, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Piekenierskloof.

Crafted by viticulturist Etienne Terblanche, and winemaker Stephanie Wild, the wines are made as naturally as possible from dry grown, old vine vineyards. Handpicked and wild fermented with delicate pressing, only the free run juice used. Ageing is almost entirely in old, large format French oak, with the occasional new barrel. Lees stirring to impart richness, mid palate stuffing and textural complexity in the whites.

The reds are handpicked and naturally fermented in open-top vessels with a proportion of whole bunches that varies from vintage to vintage. Like the whites, ageing is kept to under 12 months in cask, preserving freshness, fruit purity and overall intensity.

Thistle and Weed are very much at the forefront of South African wine production. Utilising great vineyards in some of the toughest vineyard growing conditions in the world and expressing them as simply as possible. The blends are across regions and their varietal makeup make them utterly unique in the wine world and amongst the world’s greatest and culturally expressive wines.

These are fresh and intense wines, with lovely middle palate presence. Flowers, herbs and spice accompany the fruit and there is a pronounced minerality and saline presence to the whites. Sleek and with a tensile lightness of touch, reminiscent of German Kabinett; they exhibit incredible intensity and uncompromising presence, but with a lightness of touch that is breathtaking.