Ou Steen Chenin Blanc

The style of this single-vineyard Chenin Blanc was inspired by the great Vouvray Demi-Sec wines of the Val de Loire in France. These lovely age-worthy Chenins - of which Domaine Huet's Le Mont is one of Jasper Raats's favorites - can be enjoyed with good food. Due to the amazing natural acidity of Chenin Blanc (colloquially called "Steen"), it can result in wines with unbelievable balance and poise even at residual sugars of 16-19 g/l. This style is totally determined by the conditions and can therefore only be produced in exceptional years. The fruit comes from a 0.7-hectare vineyard planted in 1981 - a certified heritage block with the SA Old Vine Project. It sits in the oldest viticultural soil in the world, decomposed granite on the lower slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. The vineyard enjoys the refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay during the day and cool night air flowing down the mountain, resulting in even ripening and good natural acidity. Biodynamic (organic) practices are followed - no herbicides or chemical sprays. The fruit is hand-picked in small picking bins to ensure that only perfect grapes reach the cellar. In the cellar, the whole-bunch-pressed grapes are fermented with wild yeast in matured French Puncheons. The wine is then aged in these barrels sur lie for ten to twelve months. In line with the ultra-natural, terroir-driven approach, no enzymes are added, no fining is done, and the wine is bottled unfiltered. Although the wine is drinking well now, it will improve with maturation for another ten years.