Mariëtte Chenin Blanc

Being a rich and elegant wine, it will pair beautifully with creamy dishes, think chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce or rich fish dishes like salmon and croute. Mariëtte Chenin blanc and scallops is also a match made in heaven or try it with a ripe Camembert.

The vineyards of the Mariette Chenin blanc were planted back in 1984 as one of the earliest versions of today’s clone 24. The row direction NW, SE plays a significant role in the cooler climate it creates as it allows good air movement due to the major wind directions experienced in the summer. The fertile alluvial soil is well drained due to the low percentage of clay present. The eroded sediment was reshaped by water over many years, creating this ancient soil that includes fine particles of silt and larger sandstone gravel and rocks. The age of vines are 34 years in 2019.

The grapes were harvested by hand into bins the morning of 21 February 2017 at 23.5 ̊B. The grapes are then cooled before 60% of them are lightly crushed and pressed, the rest is pressed whole bunch. The free-run juice was allowed to settle overnight at 8°Celsius using pectolytic enzymes. The juice is covered with carbon dioxide blankets to prevent oxidation. The wine is then inoculated, and fermentation took place in 225 litre Burgundy barrels at a constant temperature of 18 - 20°C for approximately 15 days.

This wine range is the Beautiful Estate range. Winemaker Mariette uses only grapes from Stofberg Family Vineyards in the production of these wines. It focusses on expressing the terroir of the Breedekloof and more specifically the soils on the farm. Vineyards are carefully managed to fit with each of the vines. Due to the size of the operation the grapes can be harvested when it reaches optimum ripeness. This wine range includes; Rebelle Range (Innovative) ~ This is the non-Estate wine range as grapes from other regions is used in producing these wines. It focuses on innovation, combining some of the best that the rest of South Africa has to offer and giving the winemaker the best “ingredients” to make some extraordinary wines. More daring wine techniques from around the world are used to make more complex and risky wines. This first wine to be released in this range is a Method Charmat style sparkling wine. Distillery: The distillery was started in 2015 when the Belle Rebelle team decided to start the production of vintage estate brandy. Annually the team produce 4 barrels of high-quality brandy from grapes produced by the farm. As regulations require it to be in barrels for 100 months, the public still has 4 years to wait for the first bottle to be released. The production of Gin started in 2016 with the introduction of the Fijnbos Fields Gin with Confetti Bush, Honey Bush and Buchu as main fynbos ingredients. In the first year after the release it won Double Gold at the Michelangelo International wine and spirits competition. The African Dry Gin was launched the following year and new packaging and the launch of the Blue Pea Flower Gin saw the light in 2019.