Distinct yellow hue; very rich bouquet. Amazingly full, scented nose erupting from the glass. Waxy, honeyed with mouth watering fruit salad and apples. Rich mouth-feel and layers of tropical flavours. The delicate yet firm smoky, oaky flavour expanding in the mouth. Fairly sweet and full; lovely texture and good length.
Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show 2003 - BronzeMichelangelo International Wine Award 2002 - Gold. Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Award - Top 10. The South African Trophy Wine Show 2002 - Silver, voted as a South African top 100 wine and scored **** in the book "ICONS, South Africa's Champion Wines 2003". Platter Guide 2003 rates this wine ****.
ageing :
Drinking exceptionally well now and will gain in intricacy over the next five years.
These Chenin blanc vineyards are situated on a cool slope at an altitude of 230m above sea level, in the prime Koelenhof area of Stellenbosch. The bush vines were planted on broken shale in 1979 and are fully mature. Canopy management of the vines ensured natural high acidity and full flavour concentration. No irrigation is available and the yield was 4,9 (23hl/ha - only free run juice used) tons per hectare.
The grapes were handpicked in the early morning from old bush vines at 27.2º Balling. The grapes came in on the morning of 12 March. The yield was 4,9 (23hl/ha - only free run juice used) tons per hectare, with an acid of 9,7 g/l and a pH of 2,9. A total of 860x6x750ml was made.
The grapes were lightly crushed and the free-run juice was allowed to settle for 48 hours. VIN7 yeast was used in making this wine. The clear juice with the fluffy lees was then fermented in 225-l (50% new and the rest 2nd and 3rd fill)French barriques.Fermentation took place in a 14ºC cellar, but actual fermentation temperatures were not monitored. Rudera Robusto Chenin blanc matured in barrel for eight months on the lees; thereafter it was racked, lightly filtered and bottled without being stabilized.
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