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Nederburg launches volupuous maiden chenin blanc
Nederburg’s cellarmaster Razvan Macici has always had great faith in the depth and complexity of Chenin blanc but wanted to wait until he had the right fruit to introduce the varietal to the range.
His debut 2007 Chenin Blanc, which he calls a “very big-hearted wine on aroma, palate, mouthfeel and after-taste,” is made exclusively from mature, dryland bush vines, selected for their concentration of flavour and good acidity. “Bush vines, particularly when they are unirrigated, give you low yields and intensity of fruit.”
Grapes, sourced from 15- to 20-year-old vineyards in Darling, Stellenbosch and Bottelary Hills, yielded no more than six to eight tons per hectare. These were hand-picked at 22° to 25° Balling to provide a spectrum of fresh acidity and fuller, richer flavours.
“The inclusion of some very ripe grapes has contributed a rich, raisiny complexity counterbalanced by fresh, crisp fruit with a lively acidity. It’s a very aromatic, full-bodied, almost voluptuous wine. On the nose you will pick up ripe stone fruit and raisins, underpinned by a flintiness. These same qualities show on the palate and they linger on the aftertaste. It’s a big but beautifully balanced wine that stands up extremely well to spicy foods. Think Thai and Indian dishes, as well as cream-based sauces and even fruit desserts.”
The earlier-harvested grapes were fermented in the tanks, while the riper fruit, comprising some 20% of the final blend, after limited skin contact, was fermented in French wood for layering of flavour and creaminess of texture. The barrel-fermented portion spent eight months in second- and third-fill 300-litre and 500-litre oak and was regularly stirred on the lees to enhance texture and flavour.
“Wood has enriched the profile of the wine but has been applied very judiciously. The fruit remains paramount.”
The wine forms part of Nederburg’s Winemaster’s Reserve collection, the biggest and most popular collection in the range. It is expected to retail for R42 a 750ml bottle.
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Alcohol 13.94 % by volume
Residual sugar 8.0 g/l
TA 6.3 g/l
pH 3.3
DATE 10 MARCH 2008
ISSUED BY DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
FOR NEDERBURG WINES
QUERIES DAVID COPE, MARKETING TEAM (021) 809 7000
RAZVAN MACICI NEDERBURG CELLARMASTER (021) 862 3104 or 082 785 45 77
TESSA DE KOCK/PIPPA PRINGLE, DKC, (021) 422 2690
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