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KWV The Mentors Verdelho 2013

This is an exceptional wine revealing peach and apricot aromas with flinty, floral and nutty nuances. Its zesty nature makes this a complex wine showing raw almond and dried fruit on the palate. Its well integrated acid line contributes to the refreshing, lingering finish.

Although this wine can be enjoyed on its own, it is well-matched with chicken, simple roasts and salads or even tapas and oysters.
variety : Verdelho [ 100% Verdelho ]
winery : The Mentors
winemaker : the winemaking team
wine of origin : 
analysis : alc : 13.59 % vol  rs : 3.39 g/l  pH : 3.18  ta : 7 g/l  
pack : 0  size : 0  closure : 0  
AWARDS
2015 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles - Silver

ageing : The wine can be enjoyed now, but will benefit from bottle aging for three to five years.

Verdelho is a white grape variety grown throughout Portugal, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine. Verdelho has traditionally been used to make fortified wines. The inspiration to plant this variety in Stellenbosch came from its suitability to warmer climates and the success in the Duoro as well as the Swan Valley (Australia) where it has been successfully made as a table wine.

These wines are noted for their lime and honeysuckle flavours, and subtle oily texture which can enhance aging. We felt there was sufficient justification to experiment with Verdelho, which responds well to natural and barrel fermentation. The year 2013 was the third time we made wine from this vineyard. It has been included in the KWV The Mentors range for the first time. Over the years we have worked with the varietal, we have tweaked the winemaking to compliment its flavours, often regarded as being too textured and oily.

Our style is very elegant and mineral with a faint textural oiliness on the finish.
in the vineyard : 

The winter preceding the 2013 vintage was characterized by plenty of cold spells and good, saturating rains, which ensured strong, even budding and replenished soil moisture. With the arrival of spring, cool to moderate temperatures reduced vigour and encouraged higher quality in the grapes. Slower, consistent growth persisted through the early summer thanks to dryer conditions, which kept diseases at bay. The uncharacteristic, supplementary rainfall during mid to late summer raised soil moisture levels and slightly extended the vintage and ripening period. Overall, the season delivered fruit with concentration, structure and flavour.

Soil in the Western Cape comprises ancient (350 million to 500 million years old) weathered soils of alluvial and volcanic origin. The alluvial soils are from both glacial and marine deposits. Some of the origins of the weathered soils are Table Mountain Sandstone, Granite and Malmesbury Shale. These have eroded over millennia and are now generally clay rich loam soils, which are most desirable for their ability to retain water for plant during summer months.
about the harvest: Yield: 6 tons/ha
in the cellar : 

The wine is a blend of two components; both components were fermented in barrel. 100% of the blend was fermented with an indigenous yeast strain to enhance texture and mouth feel. The wine was left on extended lees contact for 100 days after fermentation and stirred regularly during this period. Thereafter the wine was racked and placed back into barrel for another six months.

Maturation: The wine was matured for nine months in 50% first-fill, 30% second-fill and 20% third-fill barrels.
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KWV The Mentors Verdelho 2013
Verdelho