Chi Riesling

Salads | cheeses | Asian-style dishes with a bit of spice/sweetness

The Saurwein Chi Riesling is a floral and fruity style of off-dry Riesling made from grapes sourced from the following cooler climate regions of South Africa: 60% Casey's Ridge Vineyard in Elgin, grown on loamy and rocky red slate soils (Riesling clone WRl l0F; planted 2011); 20% Dal Farm, Elgin, grown on alternating rocky, red slate (Riesling clone 110; planted 2007); 20% De Bos Farm, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley grown on decomposed Bokkeveld Shale and Sandstone (Riesling clones 110 & 239 AB; planted 2011).

Grapes were hand-picked, cooled, hand-sorted, destemmed and pressed oxidatively. Spontaneous fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, which lasted about 5 weeks until optimal residual sugar balance was achieved at about 13,5 g/ I. The wine was prepared for bottling and bottled after 2 months in tank.

Saurwein is Jessica Saurwein’s family surname. Steeped in the history of 17th-century winemaking, her forefathers made “sour” wine for the Emperor of Austria. It became her vocation to redeem her family’s reputation in wine and so after a gap year working locally and internationally in vineyards, she completed a BSc Oenology and Viticulture degree at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Opportunities then led her into the world of Sales and Marketing at first, while she worked in the cellar each year during harvest-time. She found her way back to making wine by starting her own production part-time in 2015. When she had a baby in October 2017 she resigned from her job to become a mother and full-time winemaker for her own brand. Today she focusses on handcrafting her two favourite cultivars, Pinot noir and Riesling, and makes three wines under the Saurwein brand name, two Pinot noirs and one Riesling.