Beyerskloof Chenin Blanc Pinotage

Varietal(s):

82% Chenin Blanc; 18% Pinotage

Colour:

A light colour with a fresh green and golden tint

Bouquet:

Inviting, complex pear-drop and tropical primary fruit aromas giving way to notes of passion fruit, pineapple and a hint bell peppers.

Vintage Notes:

Plenty of rain and sufficient cold units during the winter ensured good nutrient and underground water levels for the growing season. This resulted in very even budding. As a result of some late cold fronts during August, followed by cool and wet weather during the early growing season, initial growth was slow. This cold spell was followed by ideal growing climate and a mild December/January provided ideal ripening conditions for the first Pinotage grapes. Although some rain fell during early January, the month of February saw dry and hot conditions speeding up the ripening process. A cooler March ensured ideal ripenessof the later varietals. Overall, although this season could be characterised as one of the wettest in years, it resulted in a vintage that produced a good crops size with exceptional quality grapes in the Stellenbosch area.

Winemaking:

The Pinotage grapes were picked at an early stage to ensure an abundance of sweet red berries aromas. After crushing the grapes the juice was immediately drained and separated from the skins to give the wine its white colour. The juice was fermented for 21 days at 11.5°C. After fermentation a fuller bodied and more structured Chenin Blanc was sourced and blended with the Pinotage.