Technical Specifications
Grape Varieties Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc100%
Drinking Window now or age up to 15 years
Region Stellenbosch
Soil Decomposed granite
Fermentation Vessels Oak Barrel, Terracotta Amphora, Concrete Egg, Stainless Steel
Maceration 0.5 days
Lees Aging 8 months
Oak Types French
Barrel Size 400L
Unfined Yes
Unfiltered Yes
Production Details The Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2023 was crafted from different wards in Stellenbosch where vines grow mainly on decomposed granite soils, each contributing to the complexity of the wine. 2023, as in 2022, is also certified as made from Heritage Vineyards, which are predominantly bush vines. The canopy of the bush vines was suckered and tipped to ensure a cool microclimate around the bunches with no direct sun and without botrytis. The run-up to the season was characterized by a warm and dry winter and spring, resulting in drier than usual soil conditions at the onset of the growing season. This resulted in earlier bud-break and flowering, and as such also promising an earlier than usual harvest. The grapes were picked separately between 21 and 23°balling, reductively crushed and the resulting juice given 12-18 hours skin contact prior to settling. After only 1 day of settling, the slightly turbid juice was racked off its gross lees to a stainless-steel tank where it was inoculated with selected slow fermenting yeast strains. The juice was then gravity fed into 400L French oak barrels, Italian Terracotta Amphora and concrete eggs for fermentation, with 70% of the final blend made up of the barrel-fermented component. No new oak was used to preserve the delicate flavours of Chenin Blanc. The wine spent an extra 8 months on the lees in the respective fermentation vessels, with no fining or filtration before bottling.
Certifications Heritage Vineyards
Tasting Notes
white peach, citrus pith, mineral, floral
▸ Sources (1)
Producer Information
Website
Address
Strand Road (R44), Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
Phone
+27 (21) 880 0717
Owner
AdVini
Cellarmaster
RJ Botha