Big Easy Chenin Blanc

Pork Chops, Savoury Soufflé, Light pasta dishes

The 2022 vintage will definitely be remembered as the year where we had good fruit set. After pruning, budburst came about two weeks later than expected. This resulted in flowering occurring in a period with cooler temperatures. The mild conditions, coupled with cooler days in between, resulted in a slower and longer ripening period, allowing for excellent fruit development without any damage due to sunburn. The heat just before harvest was important for the final ripening process, resulting in grapes with developed flavours and good sugar. The Chenin Blanc grapes were harvested from individually-selected, low-yielding bush and trellised wines from the Perdeberg region nearby Paarl. The grapes were hand-harvested in the cool of early morning. On the sorting table, all excess stalks and inferior berries were carefully removed.

After the grapes had been sorted, the grapes were destemmed and lightly crushed. The wine was settled overnight and the sediment was racked off the next day. Post fermentation lees contact was maintained for two months with weekly stirring of the lees before racking and stabilisation prior to bottling. This wine is crafted in a fresh style without any oak component.

As one of South Africa's leading ambassadors and one of the most recognizable faces in the world of sport it is befitting that Ernie chose Stellenbosch to produce his wines. In 1999 the concept of Ernie Els Wines was born and with the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els - a 'classic' Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset was to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.