Chenin Blanc

This Chenin Blanc is a great accompaniment to dishes such as smoked chicken salad on a warm summer’s day or thinly sliced carpaccio served on a bed of rocket with a lemon olive oil and black pepper dressing.

A cold and wet winter in 2022, allowed for early budding and foliage development in Spring to create a good environment for the ripening of Chenin Blanc through a dry but cooler 2023 summer. The old bush vines showed their strength in this vintage. Grapes are harvested from vineyards planted to decomposed granite and varying in age, but no younger than 30 years and up to 45 years.

Grapes are allowed short skin contact and natural settling in tank. 16% is fermented in 3rd and 4th fill French oak barrels and 84% in stainless steel after which both portions are kept 5 months on the fermentation lees before it is blended and fined. Fermentation is a slow natural process and wild yeast ferments like this can take up to 3 months to finish.

Stellenrust is a Stellenbosch producer working with nearly 400 hectares of vineyards across the Helderberg and Bottelary Hills. Known for Chenin Blanc and a broad range of South African wines, the estate focuses on matching varieties to site and capturing the character of Stellenbosch’s diverse soils and slopes.