Chenin Blanc
R125
Per Bottle
The very first of the wines to leave the cellar for Brookdale Estate was the Mason Road Chenin Blanc. The vines were the oldest that could be salvaged on the estate’s land when it was acquired by Tim Rudd.
A true Cinderella story, Chenin Blanc is now set to be one of our most celebrated varietals being produced by Brookdale in a variety of styles using different techniques.
In stock
Door to door in South Africa. Estimated 5 - 10 working days.
THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS
What customers & critics are saying
The nose shows a herbal top note before pear, peach, citrus and guava, while the palate has good fruit concentration … Great quality relative to price.
CHRISTIAN EEDES
WINE JOURNALIST, 2020
“This is like a lemon-zeste, whole-meal scone topped with sour cream and lemon verbena. Three-dimensional and scrumptious.”
Tamlyn Currin for Jancis Robinson MW
16.5 Points
TASTING NOTES
Exuberant aromatics of frangipani flowers, pineapple crush, melon, mangoes in the sun, preserved lemon, and hints of vanilla pod. Juicy pineapple washes in on the tropical palate radiating into apple purity and pear freshness. The sea is there; a thrum of salt and sun-baked rocks at the edges, freighted in an undertow of cream lees. A ruby grapefruit pithiness curls through, fresh and lifting, to the lime-kissed finish.
WINEMAKING
The 1993 block of Chenin Blanc was picked in four batches at different degrees of ripeness. Pre-cooled fruit was destemmed and crushed. Light pressing took place and free run juice was settled overnight. Fermentation occurred in a combination of stainless steel tanks (85%) and old oak French barrels (15%) using an inoculated yeast strain. The barrels were racked and blended with the tank-fermented portion and then bottled. The final blend was made up after 11 months of ageing on the lees, followed by a light filtration before bottling.
