Circumstance Chenin Blanc 2013 by Waterkloof

This is a wine that keeps me very intrigued. It shows hints of stone fruits, honey, raisins and spice. The palate shows great length and fullness.

Enjoy it with a variety of dishes, ranging from a poached pear dessert to a green Thai curry.

variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]
winery : Waterkloof
winemaker : Nadia Barnard
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol  rs : 3.0 g/l  pH : 3.34  ta : 4.9 g/l  
type : White  style : Dry  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Screwcap  

ageing : 2 - 5 years

in the vineyard : And A Few Prayers To Mother Nature- 2012/13 Growing Season
Ideal weather conditions during the harvest season - moderate day temperatures, cool night temperatures and no prolonged rain and heat waves - had a positive impact on wine grape quality. It instilled good color in the reds and lovely acidity in the whites with balanced flavours. The grapes were healthy with a bit of rot occurring later in the season.

It’s Really All About The Vineyard
Circumstance Chenin Blanc is produced from low yielding, bush vines, situated about 4km as the crow flies from the ocean. These conditions ensure a cooler and longer growing season and allow for ripe fruit with good concentration and a higher natural acidity. The soils are of sandstone origin with medium-sized stones, helping with drainage. They also have a very good ability to retain moisture. Production was approximately 4 t/ha.

At Waterkloof we use organic and biodynamic methods based on Old World, sustainable practices in our vineyards to ensure that the vines are nourished, healthy and in balance. Our soils are free of chemicals and are kept healthy by using plant extracts, fungi and bacteria from our own organic compost.

in the cellar : A Gentle Hand
The winemaking philosophy for all premium white wines from Waterkloof is the same. We follow a traditional, minimalistic approach which means that we interfere as little as possible with the winemaking process. This allows the flavours prevalent in that specific vineyard to be expressed in the wine. To achieve this goal, all grapes are whole-bunch pressed to ensure that we extract the juice in the gentlest way. The juice is then allowed to settle for 24 hours, after which it is racked from the settling tank into 600 liter barrels. The naturally occurring yeasts or “wild yeasts” were allowed to start the fermentation. This leads to a longer fermentation with a slow release of aromas and a more structured palate. The fermentation process took 8 months to complete. We do not add and acid or enzymes during the winemaking process, with only a light filtration and a small addition of sulphur as a preservative prior to bottling.
2830 Bottles Produced

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