This vintage of Chenin Blanc displays a stunning array of aromas and flavours. The nose showcases a gentle citrus pith, with hints of beeswax and honey. Burnt orange peel and vibrant notes of nartjie and ginger add to floral hues of jasmine and chamomile. An austere acidity provides the backbone to a rounder body with more grip and a full-bodied mid-palate. A wine that promises to reward those who choose to let it develop in the bottle for a further 8 to 12 years.

Grapes were picked by hand from cooler climate vineyards with an average age of 40 years. Bunches were sorted by hand and whole bunch pressed in a pneumatic press on a gentle Champagne cycle. The juice was settled overnight and then racked to Austrian oak Foudre and older fill 300L French oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation. The wild yeast fermentation took 2 to 3 months to complete. Partial Malolactic conversion was done on some of the batches. The wine was matured for 11 months. It was gently fined and filtered before bottling.

Stellenbosch, in general, played host to a perfect winter, with steady cold units being accumulated through to the end of August with even rainfall throughout the winter. The good winter cold led to a particularly even bud break. Spring was cool and dry, which favoured the flowering and fruit set for the vintage. Good summer rainfall meant the vigour needed to be kept in check. Despite a relatively hot and dry ripening period, temperatures were kept moderate due to our higher altitude and ultimately led to an exceptionally good harvest with great sugar accumulation.

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.5% | RS 2.5 g/l | TA 4.9 g/L | pH 3.57