Chenin Blanc

Excellent with most fish dishes, shellfish and sushi.

2 blocks 38 & 40 year old bush vines in the Bottelary Hills. Deep gravelly Tukulu and Estcourt soil with 15 to 25% clay. Yield 8 tons/ha. 1 block (Keermont) 17 year old vines on 6 wire vertical trellis. Deep red hutton soil with good moisture retention. Yield 10 tons/ha. 1 block (Post House) 38 year old vines on a 5 wire basic trellis. More like uplifted bush vines. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton and Escourt soil. Yield 4 tons/ha. Unirrigated. Good winter conditions with sufficient rain and cold units up until the end of August 2022. Budbreak was slightly early due to the late winter / early spring being a bit drier than usual. Mild and dry conditions followed with nice, even, moderate growth and disease pressure low. Berry and bunch size was also restricted leading to moderate yields and high quality. Thunderstorms and rain in December replenished soil moisture and provided a little boost to growth, which was ideal for the Chenin Blanc, allowing the bunches to be nicely shaded in dappled light. The cool ripening period aided early ripening varieties like Chenin Blanc and produced one of our best vintages. Harvest date: 6/2/23 - 16/2/23 @ 20,5 to 23,0 balling

Fermented and matured in 225ℓ, 400ℓ and 700ℓ casks for 10 months with lees stirred as necessary to complete fermentation. 8% new French oak used. Partial malolactic fermentation. Lightly fined with bentonite – a natural clay. Bottled unfiltered on the property by hand.

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.