Durbanville Hills Chenin Blanc 2016

Colour: Brilliant clear with green edges
Nose: Fragrant blend of ripe tropical fruit salad with a hint of citrus and green apple.
Taste: An abundance of fruity aromas, including guava, paw-paw, melon and kiwi fruit that carry through on the palate. A medium to full bodied wine with a sweet and lingering finish.

Pair with plainly grilled fish, avocado based salads, shellfish and Peking duck.

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variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]

winery : Durbanville Hills Wine

winemaker : Martin Moore and Kobus Gerber

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 13.42 % vol rs : 2.15 g/l pH : 3.27 ta : 5.78 g/l

type : White taste : Fruity wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap

Nine leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville district joined forces with Distell to create Durbanville Hills with the aim of promoting the regional individuality of this prime wine-growing area. The striking Durbanville Hills cellar sits on the side of a series of rolling hills with magnificent views of Table Mountain and Table Bay - the very geography that lies at the heart of what makes the wines so unique.

The Durbanville ward is considered one of the Cape’s coolest wine regions, thanks to the sea breezes that drift inland from False Bay and Table Bay and the late afternoon mists that bathe the slopes. These conditions are ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes, allowing them to develop their full-flavoured, intense character. Grapes are sourced only from the shareholder- growers, all of whom farm within the limited appellation of Durbanville. Meticulous canopy management promotes concentration of varietal flavour.

Cellar master Martin Moore uses highly advanced cellar technology to ensure optimal extraction of colour and flavour. Sustainable practices include maintaining the disciplines imposed by International Environmental Standard ISO 140001 such as in the treatment of waste water back to irrigation quality. In all its vineyards the growing practices prescribed by IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) are followed. These are designed to sustain natural resources. In addition, the members protect on their farms 320 ha of endangered Renosterveld as part of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative (BWI).

in the vineyard : The grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards located mostly in the lower Durbanville foothills on the southern slopes, some 250 metres above sea level. The vineyards, grown in dark red soils, yielded approximately 9 tons per hectare, and were harvested from mid to late February between 24° and 26° Balling when the grapes were showing ripe, yellow colours.

about the harvest: The grapes where harvested at optimum ripeness when the balance between fruit, sugar and acid was perfectly in balance.

in the cellar :

The grapes where gently crushed with minimal skin contact before the juice was separated from the skins. The juice was cold settled for 24 hours before it was racked from its primary lees and a percentage of the light lees was added again for further complexity. The juice was inoculated with a selected yeast strain to capture the fruity aromas, and fermentation took place at 13° - 15° C for 16 days. Thereafter it was racked from the primary fermentation lees and allowed to mature for another three months on its fresh lees to create a wine with a fuller mouth feel.

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