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KWV Mentors Chenin Blanc 2006

Decanter Awards 2008 - South African White Single Varietal Regional Trophy Over £10
The golden colour of the wine is reminiscent of the 16 months spend in barrels, but the slight green hue tells the story about the importance of having protective colloids present to preserve some of the youth of the clean, crisp juice that once held the promise of beautiful evolution. The explosion of ripe citrus aromas, honey blossom and melon, supported by the complex oak nuances of white chocolate fudge and marshmallows says something about the extract of the conduit which turned water into wine - the grapes.

Finally - the promise of the nose delivers on the palate. Good length, viscosity and the whole array of citrus flavors and sweet oak that follows through on the palate in absolute harmony.

variety : Chenin Blanc [ Chenin Blanc ]
winery : The Mentors
winemaker : The Winemaking Team
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.29 % vol  rs : 2.27 g/l  pH : 3.43  ta : 6.17 g/l  
type : White  
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  
AWARDS
Decanter Awards 2008 - South African White Single Varietal Regional Trophy Over £10
in the vineyard : 
About the area:
This wine was made from grapes from a chosen single vineyard in the Malmesbury hills. The bushvines are situated 300m above sea-level and are planted in deep, red granite soils. The vines are dry-farmed and a perfect soil:vine synergy is achieve, essential in the Mediterranean climate. Through meticulous pruning the budload per vine and thus the size of the crop were limited. Foliage management and low yields ensured ripe, flavoursome grapes with lovely concentration. Due to the hilltop location of this vineyard it is exposed to the prevailing winds during summer. Apart from keeping the diseases away, this air movement has a cooling effect in the vineyard.
 
Vintage conditions:
Exceptional quality wines were generally made from the 2006 harvest. The period from budburst to flowering was characterized by cool, windy conditions and these conditions led to weak set and thus looser, lighter bunches. This manifested in a lower yield per vine. The rest of the season was warm to very warm with dry periods during ripening and harvest. The warmer climate combined with constant windy conditions lead to decreased vine vigour and a further reduction in bunch and berry size. During the 2006 vintage the single vineyard showed its unique character and delivered wonderful fruit. The ideal ripeness can be attributed to the well-buffered soils, the smaller canopy size and the lower yield per vine.
about the harvest: 

The grapes were harvested optimally ripe late in February 2006.

in the cellar : The small berries and low yield ensured concentration of very complex fruit flavours, therefore resulting in a more detailed process. After skin contact of 4 hours in our new Evolution press, where grapes are guaranteed to be kept completely reductive, a slow press cycle ensured the best possible quality juice. The juice was racked after 48 hours to ensure a clean fermentation. The fermenting must was transferred to 228 L new Latour barrels (from one of Burgundy’s top traditional coopers) After alcoholic fermentation, which lasted approximately 3 weeks, the lees were stirred up once every week for the first 3 months. The wine spent 16 months on the primary lees in barrels after which it was racked to a tank, stabilized and bottled.

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KWV Mentors Chenin Blanc 2006
Chenin Blanc