Sadie Family Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc 2021

Sadie Family Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc 2021

Vineyards

Stellenbosch - Jonkershoek Valley

Winemaking and Maturation

We have been vinifying this vineyard since 2006 and during the last number of years we have invested much in improving it in terms of soil health and interplanting. An interesting fact is that the younger vines in this vineyard ripen about two weeks prior to the old vines, so we pick them first and they are still vinified separately. We do whole bunch pressing into old 500 litre casks for the young vines and into an old foudre for the old vines. In time the younger fraction will also be included in the final blend. Settling is for about 12 hours during the two pressings and the turbid juice is transferred the next morning. We allow for a slightly longer settling time for the Mev. Kirsten vineyard as the fermentation can be quite reduced if too many impurities enter into the fermentation stage.

The wine is left in casks and foudre on the fermentation lees for the entire first 12 months and we bottle from the lees. Two weeks prior to bottling we transfer the wine to a blending tank and add around 50 mg/litre of sulphur for protection during bottling. The wine normally settles to perfect clarity and can then be bottled unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

The vineyard is in very good standing currently and this year we will do the last interplanting of about 100 vines that we will root and re-graft next year. Over the past 15 years the wine has gained elegance carried by immense texture, density and power. Of all the singular sites we currently work with, this site is the only one that has the capacity to produce a wine of such volume and weight without any excessive notions. The texture and length of the wine just call everything to perfect discipline. We urge clients to give this wine the benefit of time in the bottle.

The 2021 Mev. Kirsten displays fresh fruit aromas that migrate into riper apricot and slightly tropical notes; however, the bulk of the wine’s aromatics lean on the fresh and bright aspects of the fruit. The aromas are very soft-spoken, and the wine is still just settling into the bottle. The tannins are incredibly refined, and the wine’s weight seems suspended; there is every suggestion that it will become a very classical vintage for this vineyard. Tasted over four days and the slow development and move of the aromas suggest that this wine is genuinely in need of a dark cellar for a long time.

Technical Details

Composition: Chenin Blanc