Reserve Chenin Blanc

Serve with a mild butter chicken curry

2018 was dry vintage in the Cape. Thunderstorms in early spring added a lot of Nitrogen to the soils resulting in very healthy canopies entering the growing season. The daytime temperatures during the ripening period were cooler than what was experienced in the very hot 2016 and 2017 vintages, with relatively cool evenings. Conditions were very dry though, with vine stress management being key to success. Fruit harvesting tended to be very early in 2018, with a focus on bringing fruit into the winery with lower sugar levels and lower pH levels.

The wine was aged on its lees in barrel for 10 months, without batonage.

The grapes were picked in three different passes in order to achieve optimum ripeness and balance in the final wine. The grapes were handpicked in the early morning hours, with bunch selection done in the vineyard. Fruit was cooled down and then gently pressed, whole bunch, and the juice was settled overnight without the use of settling enzymes. Fermentation occurred naturally in French oak barrels (20% new), using indigenous yeasts, with about 20% of the volume completing malolactic fermentation.

A hidden garden vineyard deep in the Stellenbosch Kloof, with sweeping views across False Bay to Cape Town, lies DeMorgenzon - a name derived from Dutch origin for “the morning sun.” From its hilltop manor, this prestigious and graceful family estate is home to Wendy and Hylton Appelbaum. Classical music drifts through the garden vineyards. The earth has music for those who listen. Viticulturally, DeMorgenzon has predominantly south-facing slopes create a cooler microclimate in an otherwise warm region. This allows for the production of finely poised, ethereal Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as sophisticated, highly aromatic Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In keeping with their vinous philosophy, the estate is farmed regeneratively, fostering biodiversity and soil vitality to create a balanced, living ecosystem in the vineyards.