Rustenberg Straw Wine 2009

Our Straw Wine is deliciously sweet, yet still bright, fresh and complex, with honeyed characters and hints of lemon. (375ml)

variety : Chenin Blanc [ 76% Chenin Blanc, 24% Crouchen Blanc ]

winery : Rustenberg Wines

winemaker : Randolph Christians

wine of origin : Coastal Region

analysis : alc : 12.02 % vol rs : 133 g/l pH : 3.69 ta : 7.1 g/l

type : Dessert style : Sweet

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

Veritas 2011 Awards - Gold Medal
Robert Parker Rating Aug. 2011 - 88 Points

in the vineyard : Situation: Coastal Region
Altitude: 380 m
Distance from Sea: 34 km
Soil Type: Gravel (Specific unknown)
Root Stock: R99 / R110
Age of Vines: ± 14 years
Trellising: Californian Sprawl
Pruning: Spur-pruned
Irrigation: Yes

Vintage Comment
The heat wave that began in February 2009 caused rapid sugar ripeness, so judicious irrigation regimes had to be implemented in order to maintain a healthy canopy during the late ripening period. A cool spring and early summer made for an excellent vintage, particularly for the early-ripening varieties. Grapes for this wine were bought in from areas that experienced very hot, dry conditions. These conditions meant that the grapes could be harvested early and then placed on the straw-covered racks in time for the rest of the white cultivars to be harvested. Ripening occurred reasonably evenly and the overall quality of the fruit was good. The wine was inoculated in tank using yeast (Laffort ST) before going to barrel for further fermentation and maturation.

about the harvest: The heat-wave from February 2009 onwards caused rapid sugar ripeness, so judicious irrigation regimes had to be implemented to maintain a healthy canopy during the late ripening period. Cool spring and early summer was excellent, especially for the early ripening varieties.

in the cellar : Fully ripened Chenin Blanc and Crouchen Blanc grapes were hand-picked at 23 - 23.5° Balling, then laid out on straw to dry for 4 - 5 weeks. This allows the grapes to slowly dehydrate, concentrating the natural sugar and flavour of the grapes. These raisined grapes are then gently pressed at 39 - 42° Balling and the small quantity of sweet juice obtained is inoculated and fermented in 3rd-fill 300 litre barrels for 8 months to produce a luscious sweet wine.

email the winery

email this page

find our wines in :

OTHER VINTAGES

Rustenberg Straw Wine 2009

Chenin Blanc

Randolph Christians