2012 Kika

The 2012 Kika Noble Late Harvest is pure Chenin Blanc. It was selected from three passages through the vineyard, the fruit picked at 43 Brix with an acidity of 11-grams per liter. After cold storage overnight, the grapes were trodden by foot in a basket press then racked into barrel where the fermentation took place over the following three months. The result was 1,100 gorgeous half-bottles. It has an engaging, fragrant nose of orange blossom, white peach and mango that immediately soars from the glass, a touch of adhesive emerging with time (a trait I often find on mature Barsac.) The palate has a viscous opening with peach and apricot on the entry. It has decent acidity and a slightly resinous, marmalade and quince-tinged finish that is very appealing, carrying the 211-g/L of residual sugar without detracting from freshness and tension. The Kika is so good it will have you twerking with glee. When I first met Miles Mossop at his other charge, Tokara, I could instantly tell that here was a talented conscientious winemaker whose wines I had better keep an eye on. His eponymous wines, each named after one of his children, are produced in small quantities (the wines, not the kids.) I strongly recommend tracking them down (the wines) because they are beautifully crafted and the Kika represents one of the country’s truly world-class late-harvest wines, perhaps only surpassed by Chris Mullineux’s peerless straw wine. For the asking price, Miles’ wines deliver – and then some. Importer: Knauth & Visser, Branford, CT; (203) 488 6665 and through ABS Agencies in the UK.