Chenin Blanc

Ideal with most fish, seafood, poultry and some vegetarian dishes.

Ideal winter conditions with sufficient rain and cold units up until the end of August 2021. Excellent budbreak about 7 days later than usual resulting in nice even growth. Early spring was cool and dry and then became cooler and wetter with 123mm in October. This provided vigorous canopies and high fungal disease pressure which was well managed by our growers. A very hot and dry January was quite a shock to many vineyards, but our old Chenin vines in deep soils managed this period well. February was cooler with a little relieving rain. Slightly higher yields, but all in really good balance and picked in perfect condition. Harvest date: 10/2/22 - 22/2/22 @ 20,6 to 24,2 balling

All the wine was fermented and matured in 225ℓ, 400ℓ and 700ℓ casks for 10 months with lees stirred as necessary to complete fermentation. 10% new French oak used. Partial malolactic fermentation. Lightly fined with bentonite – a natural clay.

Grapes lightly crushed and allowed about 2 hours skin contact before gently pressing in a traditional basket press. Sulphur added and natural settling allowed for 2 days before. 100% Barrel fermentation with natural yeasts.

A small family winery at the end of the Upper Blaauwklippen Road in the mountains above Stellenbosch South Africa. Established in 1992 by architect David Trafford & artist wife Rita with the focus on high end red wines of great intensity & longevity using minimal intervention production methods.