According to Backsberg CEO Simon Back, Chenin Blanc remains one of Backsberg’s most popular varietal wines, with grapes being sourced from various Western Cape regions to create a signature house-style that over the past few decades has found favour with local and international consumers alike.
“As a Paarl wine farm with a history dating back more than a century, one can probably say that there is no chance of Backsberg not making Chenin Blanc. It is a wine that is part of South Africa’s DNA and is currently experiencing a renaissance,” says Back.
“The wine is made in our winery from grapes sourced from established Chenin Blanc vineyards in Darling, Wellington and Paarl allowing us to create a wine which brings diverse terroirs together to express a specific Backsberg Chenin style. This is clean and bright fruit, a pleasing presence on the palate and overall drinking enjoyment, refreshment and providing immense satisfaction – everything we believe to be Chenin Blanc’s best-loved qualities.”
The wine is unwooded and undergoes a long, cool fermentation at 13°C in stainless steel to capture the essence of the Chenin Blanc fruit.
“At Backsberg we have found that keeping 6 grams/litre of residual sugar in the wine is literally the sweet-spot for our style of Chenin Blanc,” says Back. “Consumers love to taste sun and fruit in their white wine.The 6 grams of residual sugar is balanced by the total acidity of 5.8 grams/liter to ensure the fruit-forward flavour profile is fresh and perky. The modest alcohol of 12.7% adds to the drinkability of the wine.”
Back, who spends one month each year marketing his wine in America, says Chenin Blanc is most definitely a variety with which South Africa is making its mark in the international arena.
“As a country we have done sterling work in promoting Chenin Blanc as one of South Africa’s calling cards, and the fact that we make such a diverse range of styles from the grape most definitely also helps,” he says. “As I found out during my trip to America this year, it is very difficult to get a restaurant or retailer interested in ubiquitous wines such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc as they are spoilt for choice in this regard. Chenin Blanc, however, offers a point of differentiation that is slowly gaining traction for South Africa, and for us at Backsberg it will always be one of our staple offerings.”
Backsberg Chenin Blanc 2017 | Cellar-door price: R40.