Accolades
5 Stars - John Platter 2011
Tasting Notes
A wine definitely made to be the only one in its class. The labelling on the wine has been designed to support the myth of the quality of older Chenin Blanc vineyards. The number on the front of the bottle refers to the age of the vines in the year the wine was made.
This is a very rich tropical wine, with intense flavours of pear-drop on the nose carried forward onto a caramel creamy palate of well judged oak.
Food Suggestions
This Chenin will compliment an array of dishes: from orange infused duck confit to lemon infused Norwegian salmon on a bed of creamed spinach and potato.
In The Vineyard
For the 2009 vintage, grapes from a single vineyard of 45 year old Chenin vines were used. The yield on the vines is between 1 - 2 tons per hectare - so the annual production of this wine, varies from 3000 to 6000 bottles.
Vineyards: 45 year old bush vines from Bottelary property.
The next vintage according to the age of the vines will then be called 46, after that 47, 48, etc..
In The Cellar
The grapes were crushed and the juice allowed to ferment naturally in an assortment of barrels. The wine is kept on its fermentation lees in the barrel for 9 months after fermentation.
We also use a section of botrytised Chenin in this wine giving it a subtle honeycomb flavour and good ageing capability.
Time spent on lees in barrel: 9 months in oak: Mainly French and bit of Hungarian and American oak as well.
