Van Lill Chenin Blanc

Pair with pork scallops or roast chicken.

For decades, Basie van Lill of Arbeidsend has owned and worked in these vineyards. The vineyards coexist with fynbos and Rooibos tea bushes, and sheep graze on the land. These treasured old bush vines, planted without irrigation in 1983 on the well-drained sandy red soils of the Skurfberg Mountain, produce small quantities of intense and balanced wines with high natural acidity due to the area’s height above sea level and naturally low rainfall. Another cold, wet winter preceded the growing season, resulting in good dormancy and healthy water levels. The cool, wet weather persisted into spring, resulting in delayed but relatively even bud break, flowering, and fruit set. During the growing season, mildew-friendly conditions persisted, putting additional strain on careful canopy management. Cool-weather and rain in early summer delayed ripening and kept the vineyards in excellent condition as they approached the final stages of ripening, resulting in another late vintage. Healthy canopy conditions allowed for good flavour development and bright, vibrant acidity, resulting in well-balanced, age-worthy wines.

Before being bottled, the wine was left to age on the lees for a total of 11 months.

Grapes were hand-picked into small lug boxes and refrigerated trucks were used to bring the grapes to the cellar, where they were left to cool for the night. The bunches were sorted by hand and then whole bunches were pressed the following day, followed by an overnight settling of the juice. The fermentation took place naturally in an old French oak foudre, and approximately 90 % of the volume went through the malolactic fermentation process.

This is a range created in recognition of the Cape of Good Hope’s vinous heritage which stretches back more than 350 years when the first Governor of the Cape planted grapes. These unique wines are the result of irreplaceable parcels of old vines and site specific terroirs. The labels reflect the grape variety as well as the origin and singular characters behind them.