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Kumusha

Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Price: $23.95
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Tasting notes

This Sauvignon Blanc punches above its price with a sharp mineral edge and gooseberry-lime aromatics that read more Sancerre than New World. The four-month lees rest rounds off the edges without softening the wine's natural tension.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
GooseberryLimeFlintGreen Apple
  • Style: Dry, light-bodied white; pale straw; gooseberry, lime, and mineral flint; 12.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Sauvignon Blanc; certified sustainable, vegan; 4ha Opstal vineyard, Slanghoek Valley; 300m elevation; ancient sandstone soils
  • Winemaking: Hand-picked; free-run juice; 48hr cold settle; spontaneous fermentation; 4 months gross lees aging in stainless steel; minimal added SO2; no oak
  • Serving: Serve at 45-48°F; no decanting needed
  • Pairing: Fresh oysters, grilled white fish, goat cheese, herb salads, light seafood
  • Similar To: For fans of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé) who want a mineral-driven, low-intervention style from South Africa

Kumusha Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from a four-hectare block called Opstal in the Slanghoek Valley, Breedekloof district, Western Cape. The vineyard sits at 300 meters above sea level on ancient sandstone soils. Vines are approximately 16 years old and the fruit is hand-picked in the early morning to retain aromatics and acidity.

Winemaking is low-intervention throughout. After destemming, free-run juice settles in stainless steel for 48 hours at 9°C. Spontaneous fermentation runs for roughly three weeks, with occasional lees stirring to build texture. The wine rests on gross lees in stainless steel for four months before bottling with minimal added sulfur. No oak is used. Around 1,650 cases were produced.

The result is pale straw in color with greenish hues. The nose delivers gooseberry, lime, and fresh apple with a flint-like mineral undercurrent. The palate is light-to-medium bodied with zesty citrus flavors and brisk acidity on the finish. Stylistically, it leans closer to the Loire Valley than to the riper, tropical style associated with Marlborough.

Kumusha is a Shona-language word meaning "your home," "your roots," or "your origin." The label is certified sustainable and vegan-friendly.

Works well with fresh oysters, grilled white fish, and light seafood dishes where the wine's citrus acidity can cut through brine or fat. Goat cheese and herb-forward salads are also strong pairings. Serve well chilled at 45-48°F.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Sauvignon Blanc
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2021
Alcohol:, 12.5%
Country:, South Africa
Region:, Western Cape
Appellation:, Western Cape WO
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Kumusha

Tinashe Nyamudoka was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, and moved to Cape Town in 2008 with no prior wine background. He entered the industry as a runner at The Roundhouse Restaurant in Camps Bay, then worked as a wine steward at One and Only Cape Town's Nobu restaurant. He went on to serve as head sommelier at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga before spending five years as head sommelier at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, where he won the Eat Out Wine Service Award in 2016. He completed a certificate in wine business management at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town, during which he developed the concept for Kumusha Wines.

Nyamudoka launched Kumusha Wines in 2017, working with his friend Attie Louw, winemaker and seventh-generation co-owner of Opstal Estate in the Slanghoek Valley. Opstal, family-run since 1847, harvests the grapes, which Kumusha then presses, ferments, and bottles. Nyamudoka left his head sommelier role in 2020 to focus on Kumusha full-time. He was also a member of Team ZIM, a group of four Zimbabwean sommeliers who competed in the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships in 2017 and 2018, finishing 14th in 2018 and beating both the USA and UK teams. Their story is documented in the 2021 film Blind Ambition.

Kumusha's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention and natural fermentation, allowing regional character to come through without heavy-handed cellar manipulation. The Sauvignon Blanc undergoes spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with no added commercial yeast, lees stirring for texture, and four months of aging on gross lees before bottling with minimal added sulfur. The wine is certified sustainable and vegan-friendly.

Wine region

Western Cape, South Africa

Breedekloof is a district in the Breede River Valley of South Africa's Western Cape, lying west of Worcester and bordered on the west by the Slanghoek Mountains, which separate it from Paarl. The Badsberg Mountain bisects the district into the Goudini and Slanghoek wards. Opstal Estate, where Kumusha sources its Sauvignon Blanc, sits in the Slanghoek ward at the foot of the Slanghoek Mountains. The valley receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,350mm, with hot summers and cold, wet winters that push harvest two to three weeks later than other Cape wine regions.

Soil types across Breedekloof vary from sandy loam along river banks to weathered sandstone on higher slopes. The Slanghoek ward's alluvial soils alongside the Slanghoek River suit white varieties particularly well, and the well-drained, ancient sandstone soils at elevation encourage deep root systems and flavor concentration. The district is increasingly recognized for Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc alongside its red varieties. South Africa's Wine of Origin scheme covers the region under the Breede River Valley, with Breedekloof recognized as a distinct district within that hierarchy.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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