SOUTH AFRICA


de Trafford Chenin Blanc
2009 Chenin Blanc

Viticulture

Vineyard: 2 blocks from Keerweder cool and high altitude, 2 blocks Post House lower slopes of the Helderberg & 1 block Bredell bushvines from foothills of the Helderberg, 4 km from False Bay.
Soil Type: Deep red Hutton, Gravelly Hutton and Escourt, sandy, gravelly Escourt & Sandy, gravelly topsoil with clay gravel subsoil.
Vine Age: 45, 37, 23 & 25 years old.
Irrigation: Drip Method
Harvest Date: from 11th February to 19th March.
Yield: 7, 6, 5 & 3 t/ha

Vinification:

VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Typical cold, wet winter followed by an excellent growing season with above average rainfall, but cooler temperatures producing good, but not excessive growth. A particularly healthy year with very little disease pressure. Although the ripening period was warm to hot, there were very few heat spikes until late February, early March. The harvest was preceded by a month long fire which fortunately didn’t affect the grapes.
The grapes were picked in the cool mornings AT 21.3 – 24.8º Balling.
VINIFICATION
Grapes lightly crushed and allowed 3 hours skin contact before gently pressing in a traditional basket press. Sulfite added and natural settling allowed for 2 days before fermentation started.100 % barrel fermentation with natural yeasts. A few barrels struggled to complete fermentation and were left for a later reserve bottling. All the wine was kept in 225liter barrels and a few 700liter casks for 9 months with lees stirred 1 to twice a month initially. Lightly fined with bentonite – a natural clay.
20% new French oak used No malolactic fermentation. Bottled unfiltered on the property by hand.

Tasting Notes:

Color: An appealing pale yellow colour.
Nose: The nose is quite closed showing mostly nuts, hay and minerals with a hint of spicy oak.
Palate: Needs a little air to bring out the inherent richness on the palate. Nicely structured with some barrel aged fatness complimenting the racy minerality. A long, clean, dry finish.
Other: Probably best between 2011 and 2015.
Extremely versatile food wine – excellent with rich fish dishes, sushi and other seafood, as well as most subtle white meats or simply on its own.

Chemical Analysis:

Alc (%): 14.92
RS (g/l): 2.3
TA (g/l): 4.9
pH: 3.81