Zevenwacht Chenin Blanc

Zevenwacht Wine Estate is owned by the Johnson family and is situated on the Southern most slopes of the Bottelary Hills in Stellenbosch. This beautiful property has its vineyards overlooking Cape Town and is influenced by its proximity to the ocean and the cooling South-Easterly wind, making wines with great fruit purity and elegance. The sister property in the Banhoek Valley is a warmer site with heavier soils and provides cellar master, Hagen Viljoen, with more structured and powerful components to work with when blending. Zevenwacht produces a range of terroir driven wines that are distinct and classic, with all the grapes coming from their own farms and bottled in their own cellar, allowing total control of the process to ensure the highest quality of production in all their wines.

Chenin Blanc,

This wine is made from unirrigated 39 year old Chenin vines planted in 1981. The vines are South West to West facing and are grown in decomposed granite soils high up on the farm at 300m above sea level.

The grapes are whole bunch pressed and cold settled overnight, after which the juice was racked to barrel and a concrete egg for fermentation. Regular lees stirring was done for the first three months to add extra palate weight and creaminess to the wine. The wine remained on the gross lees for 9 months before being racked and blended for bottling with the final blend having 10% concrete egg. 10% New French oak, 20% second fill and 60% in third and fourth fill barrels.

A clear bright wine with hints of lime and gold. The nose has aromas of apricot, yellow peach and quince that follow through onto the palate with undertones of pineapple and citrus. the creamy texture of the palate is supported by subtle oak flavours and a minerality that is underpinned with bright and juicy acidity.

Delectable with fish and shellfish, poultry and dishes with creamy sauces. A versatile wine. Chenin is a wine that develops and deepens both in colour and aroma over time. As such it rewards extra complexity with age, while offering up-front fruit and freshness in its youth.