Mariëtte Chenin blanc 2019

A pale straw colour with a bright golden tinge. Soft floral and tropical fruit aromas such as honeysuckle and melon on the nose, as well as lightly wooded elegance with undertones of vanilla and spice. The palate is loaded with stone fruit, figs and a of hint citrus, which culminate in a crisp acidity and long finish. A truly well-balanced beauty that makes this a winemakers’ selection.

Vinification
The grapes were harvested by hand into bins the morning of 21 February 2017 at 23.5˚B. The grapes are then cooled before 60% of them are lightly crushed and pressed, the rest is pressed whole bunch. The free-run juice was allowed to settle overnight at 8°Celsius using pectolytic enzymes. The juice is covered with carbon dioxide blankets to prevent oxidation. The wine is then inoculated, and fermentation took place in 225 litre Burgundy barrels at a constant temperature of 18 - 20°C for approximately 15 days.

Terroir
Sandstone soils with a lot of stone fragments. Moderate Mediterranean climate. 1.6 Ha block with yields
at 20 ton per hectare. Age of vines are 34 years in 2017.

Technical notes
Alcohol = 14.29 Vol%
Residual Sugar = 4.31 g/l
Volatile Acidity = 0.66 g/l
Total Acidity = 6.70 g/l
pH 3.39
Free Sulphur = 29 mg/l
Total Sulphur = 116 mg/l
Total extract = 25.18 g/l

Food Pairing
Being a rich and elegant wine, it will pair beautifully with creamy dishes, think chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce or rich fish dishes like salmon and croute. Mariëtte Chenin blanc and scallops is also a match made in heaven or try it with a ripe Camembert.

Interesting fact
Back in the eighties the plant material got mixed up because the block consists of two different clones. We marked the clone with the open bunches which do not rot and only use that for this special wine. The experts believe it is the first plant material of the now popular clone 24.

Accolades
Vintage 2015 Michelangelo DOUBLE GOLD Award 2017
Veritas DOUBLE GOLD Award 2017
Platter Wine Guide 4 Stars 2016
Tim Atkin Score 90/100
Vitis Vinifera GOLD 2017
Vintage 2017 Michelangelo DOUBLE GOLD Award 2018
Miguel Chan Score 93/100
Veritas SILVER Award 2018
Platter Wine Guide 4 Star 2019