Yetti & The Kokonut

Kokonut at Bunch

Yetti and the Kokonut are the nicknames of David Geyer and Koen Janssens who together make some fabulous wines in South Australia. I have previously written about their wines from the 2018 vintage, you can read it here. Last Sunday evening, at Bunch Natural Wine Bar in Liverpool Koen was showcasing some of the wines from the recent 2019 vintage.

Fruit Basket 2019, Eden Valley. Fruit comes from a 90 year old single block of vines in the Eden Valley which contains 13-15 different varieties. The relative proportion in the vineyard is unknown and the block is harvested and vinified all together. For the 2019 Fruit Basket they tried something different and vinified small batches separately in the hope of giving some personal identity to the wine. The wine saw 10 days skin contact and has a feint blush. It has lovely texture and balance. Peachy, floral, perfumed, with some dried herbs, there is an awful lot going on here and this is what I like about this wine, every sip brings something new. The finish is dry with a delightful floral perfume. As a result of the drought in South Australia production is 70% down on last year. Get it while you can.

Metro Savagnin 2019, McLaren Vale. The story of Savagnin in Australia in an interesting one. DNA tests conducted in 2009 on Albarino confirmed what had been suspected, it wasn’t Albarino at all but was Savagnin. So the Savagnin growing in Australia is there because of a mistake and what a beneficial one it has proved to be for Yetti & the Kokonut. They farm a vineyard of Savignan, harvest it all at the same time and then vinify in different ways. Metro is a new wine which was vinified in two separate batches, in one it was 100% whole bunch in the other 50% destemmed with 50% whole bunch on top. The resulting wine has a lovely freshness with lots of citrus, pear and stone fruit. It is well balanced and has a delightful delicate finish. It’s refreshing and very drinkable. A very versatile wine.

Mount Savagnin 2019, McLaren Vale. The same vineyard as Metro but this wine was made in a much larger wooden vat holding around 3000 litres. There is some delicacy here with lovely pear and lime and a texture that makes this very drinkable. The wine is not out there shouting about itself, it just quietly gets on with delivering a very nice glass. Very much in its youth and lovely for drinking now.

Mount Savagnin 2017, McLaren Vale. An interesting comparison with the recent release and a much more serious wine. It has the fruit of the 2019 but has also developed a nuttiness and complexity which makes it a wine for contemplative drinking. Great balance and a lovely freshness to the finish.

B’rosé 2019, McLaren Vale. This years wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, red Semillon and Verdello. Noticeably absent is Gewurtztraminer which has added real fragrance and spice to previous vintages. Unfortunately the Gewurtz wine picked up an infection and was spoiled hence its absence. Despite the problems this is still very good. A fruit forward wine with masses of red berry fruit, a great texture and real character. This is a wine that demands some serious attention, preferably sat in the warm sunshine. As winter approaches perhaps we could drink it to bring a little sunshine into our lives. I really hope so.

Bunch Spring Tasting

One of the great things I like about Bunch Natural Wine Bar on Berry Street in Liverpool is that there is always something different to try. It is a welcome challenge to step out of your comfort zone and give something new and unfamiliar a try. The beauty of wines by the glass is that you don’t have the financial commitment to the whole bottle so if a wine turns out not to be to your particular liking its not such a costly mistake. Not that I ever come across many that I don’t like, there are simply some I prefer, and all of the wines are worth the effort of getting to know even if the odd one just remains a casual acquaintance. The spring tasting, held in the shop last week, was another great example of the diversity of wines on offer and most of them are well worth getting to know better.

I Wish I Was a Ninja. Testalonga. PetNat. 2018 Swartland. South Africa. The more I drink the wines of Craig Hawkins the more I like them. Here is a producer that really is worthy of further investigation. This was a new wine to me and it is absolutely delicious. Made from 100% Columbard, it’s off dry with 25g/l residual sugar. Pear, apple and elderflower along with a gently carbonation and lovely texture. A well balanced and refreshing wine for the summer ahead.

Fruit Basket. Yetti & the Kokonut. 2018. Eden Valley. Australia. From a 95 year old block in South Australias Eden Valley which contains 13 different grape varieties I have enjoyed this wine on several previous occasions. Revealing something different with each sip, it is a fruit salad in a glass. Sadly it didn’t reveal its true beauty tonight but I won’t let that put me off as I know how good it can be!

Chinuri. Iago Bitarishvili, 2015. Kartil. Georgia. They have been making wine in Georgia for 8.000 years or so. This is traditionally made from the indigenous Chinuri grape variety. It is an orange wine made in clay pots called qvevri. The pot is filled with grapes, buried and left for 6 months before pressing and bottling. It produces a style of wine that can divide opinion as it did on the evening but in the hands of a producer such as Iago Bitarishvilli I can’t think of a better place to start exploring these wines. It is dry with flavours of orange and pear with a touch of dried herbs. There are tannins here but nothing too heavy and the finish is incredibly long.

Basis Nobody. Matthias Warnung. 2016 Kamptal. Austria. A field blend of 90% Gruner Veltliner and 10% Zweigelt. Whole bunches are placed in a large old wooden vat for ten days. The bunches are then pressed and the wine bottled with the addition of a minimal amount of sulphur. The result is a delicate and elegant style of rosé that got better and better with each sip. Dry with lovely strawberry fruit and a touch of fennel. A very appealing wine.

Jumping Juice Half Full Red. Patrick Sullivan. 2018. Victoria. Australia. Mainly Shiraz with the addition of some Semillon and Viognier, this is an incredibly delicious and drinkable wine. For all those that think Aussie Shiraz is only a big, bold wine try this. It is so juicy with bags of soft red fruits a lovely texture and a gentle touch of savouriness on the finish. Delightful.

Blaufrankisch. Nachbil. 2016. Transylvania. Romania. To finish a very easy drinking and not unpleasant red. This wine has black fruits and is savoury and smokey. A slight sweetness to the fruit, nicely textured and a long finish.

In the depths of winter, it’s rather cold and snowing lightly as I type, its good to come across wines that bring a smile to your face and remind you of the heady days of summer. Such are the wines from Yetti & the Kokonut, the nicknames of founders David Geyer and Koen Janssens, who are creating innovative, characterful and beautiful textured wines from the warmth of South Australia. Their philosophy couldn’t be simpler, great wines begin in the vineyard and couple this with respectful treatment in the winery and you are going to make wines that people will enjoy and come back for more. David and Koen began their business in 2015 and it’s is still very much in its infancy but the wines they are producing are growing up quickly. From this tasting the 2018s are looking very good and are well worth investigating.

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover or a wine by its label but you can’t help but admire the labels on these wines. Colourful, humorous and giving every indication that the wine here is worth your time.

Pet Nat. A blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier. There is a gentle aroma of tarragon about this wine which has a gentle mousse and lovely texture. The acidity is held in check here and the bottle fermentation gives a roundness which makes it very drinkable indeed. As it opens a little in glass there are further hints of almonds and apple.

Pet Nat
Fruit Basket

Fruit Basket 2018. From a 95 year old block in the Eden Valley which contains 13 different grape varieties. Destemmed and then with five days skin contact. Aged in a large wooden vat with a small percentage in small barrels. This is a fruit salad in a glass. You name it it’s here apple, pear, melon. peach, pineapple, elderflower etc. It reveals something different with each mouthful. Cooling, refreshing and very drinkable. What’s not to like!

Savignan. 2018. From the Adelaide Hills and coming in at only 10.4% alcohol, this is a wine for drinking in the sun or to remind you of sunnier days. Aromas of lemon, pear and an almond nuttiness. The palate is dry with nice texture, balance and a lovely lemony finish. Delightful.

Savagnin
Mount Savagnin

Mount Savagnin 2018. Savagnin this time from the McLaren Vale. Grapes had a five day cold soak before pressing. Medium bodied and with nice concentration and texture. Lemon with stone fruit and a touch of tropical fruit. The finish is long.

El Doradillo 2018. The Doradillo grape originates from Spain can mainly be found in the Riverland region of South Australia. This example originates from the Southern Barossa and is delightful. An element of skin contact has produced a wine which bursts with stone fruits and a gentle hint of peppery spice. Low in alcohol and with lovely texture.

El Doradillo
B’Rose

B’Rose 2018. 70% Gewurtztraminer, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Grenache. A higher proportion of Gewurtztraminer than in the previous vintage and it shows. The palate here is red fruit with delicate rose petal and a touch of spice. A serious rosé but easy to drink and with real character. On first tasting the nose was very much of burnt match but this dissipates with aeration and did not spoil the overall wine.