in the vineyard : Rooted in wonderful decomposed granitic soils, this Chenin Blanc is from a single vineyard on an ocean-facing slope of the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. Entirely from old bush vines, with naturally low yields and deep root systems plunging into the granitic sub-rock. 2010 was a beautiful Chenin vintage - if characterised by yields of between 25 - 30% less than average. The uneven flowering in the spring and a summer with hot days (though often cool evenings), provided an unusual and shorter ripening season, although the retention of natural acidity and greater complexity of flavours somewhat paradoxically marked this vintage.
in the cellar : The free run juice was fermented then matured on the lees in small Burgundian barrels for 11 months (only 1/5 new). Part of the pressing was whole bunch, the rest de-stemmed. The pressed juice was fermented and matured apart from the free-run. A small portion of tank fermented Chenin was added for the final blend, to enhance the fresh and mineral focus of the wine.