South Africa, Stellenbosch
Chenin Blanc
Awards
95 pts Tim Atkin
Certificates
Alcohol
13.5%
Analytical data
dry
Vinification
The grapes are vinified gently and naturally following traditional techniques. This wine was fermented and then spent a further 12 months maturing on the lees in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barrels. Bottling was carried out by hand without filtration.
Vineyard
Planted in 1971, Riverside is the oldest vineyard on Keermont. Lying between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountain ranges and being 12.5kms from the Indian Ocean, our Valley is very lucky to have its own micro climate which means cooler mornings and evenings and temperate days. Riverside lies at 250 metres above sea level. This patchy old block continues to give us beautiful fruit but only 1 tonne per hectare!
Soil Type
Sandy alluvial plains with river stone to red clay loam as one moves away from the river.
Viticulture
2017 was a very good growing season on Keermont. Despite a drier than usual winter, we had strong growth in the vineyards during the spring time. This led to the formation of a good healthy crop which ripened evenly during the warm, dry summer. Harvest started fairly early, but was put on hold after a heavy rainfall. This perked the vines up and allowed for extended ripening which definitely raised the quality. We recorded one of our largest and healthiest crops.
Maturation
Riverside is barrel fermented and matured in mostly seasoned French oak (20% new) for 12 months. Further bottle aging of approximately a year prior to release means a beautiful complex Chenin blanc to be enjoyed now or aged for a further 5-10 years.
