variety : Chenin Blanc [ 99% Chenin Blanc, 1% Muscat D’ Alexandrie ]
winemaker : Thys Smith
wine of origin : Franschhoek
analysis : alc : 12.5 % vol rs : 2.7 g/l pH : 3.6
type : White style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fragrant
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the cellar : The wine is a blend of mostly Chenin Blanc, from one of the oldest blocks in Franschhoek and a touch of Muscat D’ Alexandrie. Pressed Viognier skins were also added to the blend for added texture. The wine was racked, fined and settled for a month in an old 500 litre barrel before bottling.
There something to be said about following in the footsteps of ancient Greek and Roman winemakers who embraced this “technology” thousands of years ago, using clay hewn out of the earth to cradle and nurture a living liquid. The journey of the Grande Provence Amphora wine began when the winemaker decided to import two 400 litre clay amphorae from Manetti Gusmano and Figli from Florence, Italy, with seven generations of experience in crafting their superb vessels. A small block of really old Chenin Blanc (34 years old) in Franschhoek were selected and only the very best yellow, sun-exposed bunches were picked to maximise the health, flavour and aromatic expression of the wine. The grapes were de-stemmed by hand, left to ferment naturally on skins and remained topped in the clay amphorae for 7 months, without sulphur.