South Africa, Stellenbosch
Chenin Blanc
Description
Lovely straw colour, nose decidedly tropical with litchi / mango / and summer melon flavours, good weight and balance on the palate, lovely minerality on the 2017 vintage. The wonderful mouthfeel that typifies ripe Chenin blanc has already started to develop and will increase in the next 12 – 24 months. The slightly higher than usual RS adds to the palate of the wine, interestingly enough it is not really apparent on the palate.
Awards
89 pts Winemag.co.za Rating
Silver Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits
3.5 stars Platter's South African Wine Guide
Tasting Notes
Certificates
Alcohol
13.5%
Analytical data
dry
Vinification
The much needed rainfall during winter and a relatively cool summer provided ideal conditions for growth and ripening. An outstanding vintage for white grapes, no heat waves and low night temperatures together with a dry summer and some welcoming rain in February provided flavourful grapes with 5% botrytis. Three hours skin contact, juice cleaned by settling, 40% of the volume was allowed to ferment spontaneously with wild yeast. After fermentation the wine was blended together. Extended lees contact allowed after fermentation.
Vineyard: Houmoed Chenin blanc
Grapes from the Houmoed vineyard block were used, a dry land bush vine block, 2 ha in size, planted by Nicolaas Roos in 1972 on rootstock Richter 99, altitude 280 m above sea level on a western slope of the Bottelary Hills. A clear line of sight to False Bay, which implies an afternoon cooling sea breeze.
Soil Type
Oakleaf, high potential soil
Viticulture
Bush vines, dry land and hand picked
Maturation
100% Stainless ferment, 2 months extended lees contact
