De Steen Chenin Blanc

The grapes were hand-harvested at 04:00 and delivered to the cellar in 15 kg lug boxes before being chilled to 4°C. Once cooled, the fruit was destemmed, crushed, and gently pressed. The juice settled in tank for 24 hours before being racked to 500 L French oak barrels (second, third, and fourth fill) for fermentation. After completion, the barrels were topped and sulphured, and the wine remained on gross lees for seven months.

This is the estate’s only Chenin Blanc block, situated directly in front of the cellar and tasting room. The vines exhibit strong, even growth with uniform shoots of approximately one metre. The vineyard remained in excellent health throughout the season, with no signs of mealybug, powdery mildew, or downy mildew. Pruning began on 1 July, followed by three rounds of suckering and three tipping passes. Selective leaf removal was carried out to enhance air circulation and optimise sunlight exposure.

The final blend comprises 80% barrel-fermented and matured wine, with the remaining 20% fermented and aged in stainless steel. Prior to bottling, the wine was removed from barrel, crossflow filtered, and given a coarse sheet filtration on the bottling line. Bottling took place on 30 October 2025.