Babylon's Peak Chenin Blanc 2011

Lots of guava, granadilla, litchi and other passion fruit flavours are prominent on the nose. Behind the fruitiness and fermentation flavours, there are more mineral flavours - typical from a Swartland Chenin. Very fresh on the palate, with a ‘fizziness’ from CO2 still in the wine. The acid is crisp and well in balance with the fruit.

Light fish and chicken dishes. Salads. Everyday drinking wine for all occasions.

variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]

winery : Babylons Peak Private Cellar

winemaker : Stephan Basson

wine of origin : Swartland

analysis : alc : 13.0 % vol rs : 3.5 g/l pH : 3.4 ta : 6.1 g/l

type : White

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

in the vineyard : Terroir
All the vines are planted on weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain. This area has a typical mediteranean climate, with winter rainfall of 500-700mm per year. The summers are quite dry with very high day temperatures (between 24-38°C) and lower night temperatures between 8° and 15°C. Most wines from this area have a typical mineral character– the result from our granite soils.

Vineyards
The Chenin Blanc is 39 year old bush vines, planted on a south eastern slope in weathered granite soils. The soil has a very good drainage potential and is very high in minerals. The production is approximately 5tons/ha and the vineyards are totally dryland. Because these old vines have very deep roots, it gets moist from deep below and never stress too much during a heat wave or high temperatures. This cause a slow and long ripening season, therefore the berries stay crisp and fresh and keep its fruitiness much better.

about the harvest: Grapes were harvested by hand in small picking crates

in the cellar : After harvesting the grapes were left in a cold room at 5°C for 24 hours. After destemming and crushing the grapes were pressed and only the free run juice was used. The juice was left at 8°C to clear, after which it was fermented at 11°C for approximately 18 days. After fermentation was finished, the wine was left on the fermentation lees for six months, before it was bottled. A CO2 blanket, together with ascorbic acid, was used during the whole wine making process to make the wine as crisp and fresh as possible.

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