Wine: 2008 Straw Wine
100% air-dried Chenin blanc
Bottling Date: 22nd January 2009
Production: 3 000 bottles / 250 cases (375ml)
Wine of Origin: Swartland
The secret to Straw Wine is harvesting grapes at normal ripeness levels to capture a healthy acidity, which is concentrated along with the intense Chenin blanc flavors, and sugar into a super intense, but balanced treat.
Tasting Note: Deep golden straw in colour, with a rich, viscous appearance. The nose is a complex, enticing blend of dried peaches, apricots and marmalade, with savory, nutty aromas of almonds, marzipan and honey. The intense, dizzying mouthfeel is balanced by a clean, fresh and very long finish of dried apricots. The wine is best served chilled at 9 to 11 C.
Accolades: 96/100 Neal Martin (eRobertParker.com); 5 Stars - the 2010 Platters Wine Guide; 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson; 91/100 The Wine Spectator (James Molesworth).
Technical Details at Bottling:
Alcohol 10,5%
Residual sugar 289 g/l
Total acidity 10,0 g/l
Volatile acidity 1,26
Total SO2 61 ppm
Free SO2 24 ppm
pH 3,48
Source of Grapes: Grapes for our 2008 Straw Wine come from a single parcel of 28 year old Chenin blanc planted in the stony Shale and Schist based soils of Riebeek Kasteel Mountain. This is the parcel of Chenin that gives us the best acidity at havest.
Date(s) Harvested: Grapes were harvested on the 2nd February 2008.
Yields: Harvested: 6 tons/ha = 33 HL/ha. Final yields after drying: 100L/ton = 6 HL/ha.
Winemaking: Grapes are harvested at normal ripeness levels of 23 Brix. They are left to dry outdoors in the shade for roughly 3 weeks. This process allows moisture to evaporate from the berries, concentrating the sugars, acids and flavor. When the grapes have shriveled half way to becoming raisins and the sugar has increased to about 48 Brix, they are brought to the cellar where they are crushed and pressed (for 36 hours) whole bunch, and racked direcly to old 225L barrels. A small amount of sulphur (30 pmm) is added to inhibit bacteria, and fermentation is allowed to proceed naturally, without any other additions being made. Fermentation takes roughly 6 months, and ends naturally (when the yeast simply can't ferment any further!). To build complexity, the barrels are not topped, and the wine is bottles unfiltered and unfined.
Maturation: 11 months in used (5th fill) 225L French oak barriques.