De Trafford Straw Wine 3V

Name: De Trafford Straw Wine 3V
Brand: De Trafford
SKU: 39121

Attractive bright gold colour. Great intensity and sweetness, similar in style to 2006. Dried apricot and lemon skin, some flintiness, but mostly complex honey and treacle. The palate is intensely sweet yet not cloying, fresh and lively with an oxidative complexity and a long clean finish.

This vintage is best as a sweet treat on its own after a meal. A rewarding challenge to match with desserts!

variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]

winery : De Trafford Wines

winemaker : David Trafford

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 11.93 % vol rs : 218 g/l pH : 3.91 ta : 6.1 g/l va : 1.4 g/l so2 : 102 mg/l

type : Red style : Sweet wooded

pack : Bottle size : 375ml closure : Cork

ageing : Matured for 23 months using 50% new 225L French oak barrels.

De Trafford Wines were the first in South Africa to produce this exceptional style of wine. Experimentally in 1995 and 1996 and officially in 1997 after having to get approval through the Wine & Spirit Board and even having to pass a bill in Parliament.

3V is now a first for us too. A combination of three excellent, but small vintages:
2011; 2013 & 2014. 100% Chenin Blanc.

in the vineyard : 2 blocks ( Keerweder ) 37 year old vines on a 3 wire trellis on neighbouring cool, high altitude, SW slope. Deep red Hutton soil with good moisture retention. Unirrigated. Yield 3 tons / ha.

2 blocks ( Post House ) 23 & 25 year old vines on a 7 wire trellis with moveable foliage wires. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton and Escourt soil. Yield 7 tons / ha. Lightly irrigated just after veraison.

1 block ( Bredell ) 25 year old bush vines. Foothills of the Helderberg 4km from False Bay. Sandy, gravelly Escourt soil. Unirrigated. Yield 6 tons / ha.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked at optimum ripeness and laid out on drying racks in 70% shade for about 3 weeks.

in the cellar : Based on 2013 vintage for vine age and yield

2 blocks (Keermont) 41 year old vines on neighbouring high altitude slope. Deep red granite based Hutton soil. Yield 3 tons/ha. 2nd block 7yr vines. 7 tons/ha
2 blocks (Post House) 27 & 29 year old vines. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the sea. Gravelly Hutton and Escourt soil. Yield 4 tons/ha.
1 block (Helderzicht) 29 year old bush vines. Foothills of the Helderberg 4km from False Bay. Sandy, gravelly Escourt soil. Yield 7 tons/ha.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS
2011 was hot and dry and ideal for Straw Wine. 2013 somewhat cooler, but pretty dry too. 2014 was also a cooler vintage, but quite a bit of late season rain and a little trickier to produce Straw Wine. We had to take some of the grapes off the rack a little earlier. Three good and complimentary Straw Wine vintages. However, the significant difference is in the evolution of the three wines before blending and bottling.

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