Alheit Vineyards Nautical Dawn Chenin Blanc 2021
Nautical Dawn is a single origin Chenin Blanc wine. Since its maiden vintage in 2017 it has helped to showcase the raw talent of the False Bay coast of Stellenbosch – a vital part of the Cape Chenin story. The wine has quite an extreme nature and a strong personality. Even with early picking, this vineyard delivers huge flavour with intense concentration and ripping natural acid.
Vineyards
On Rustenhof farm in Firgrove (southern Stellenbosch) there’s a small granite hill called Sinai. The crown of the hill has a few small granite domes protruding from the soil. From up there you can see the waves breaking only 4kms away. The hillside is planted from top to bottom with dry farmed bushvine Chenin Blanc. Nautical Dawn is made from a parcel planted in 1978 on the upper part of the slope. The vine rows run with the contour of the hill. The granite soil is shallow and warms quickly, causing this to be one of our earliest picks of the season, despite the relentless South-East wind.
Winemaking and Maturation
The grapes were hand sorted and whole bunch pressed. The juice is very lightly settled (we like very cloudy raw juice) with no additions to the raw juice, wild fermentation took place in a 2000L Foudre and some old barrels of various sizes. Fermentation lasted for about two months. The wine was kept on lees for around 12 months, then rested in tank on fine lees without fining for a further six months prior to bottling. Very simple, careful winemaking.
Tasting Notes
This is an outstanding vintage of Nautical Dawn, loaded with salty yellow fruit and sweet herbs. I often say that this wine reflects the tension of the elements where it grows: the mellow glow of Stellenbosch sunshine and the cold slap of the salty Southeaster. The nose shows sour yellow fruit, sweet melon, and a touch of fennel. The pallet is very energetic and intense this year, full of flavour, very long finish.
Technical Details
Varieties: 100% Chenin Blanc
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch Grower: Pieter Bredell
The Name: Nautical Dawn is the phase of dawn that occurs between astrological dawn and civilian dawn. It’s a mysterious time of day – dark enough to see the stars for navigation, light enough to hoist a sail. We wanted a name that would take you close to the sea and facing East.
