SOLD OUT

Asara Carillon 2012 - SOLD OUT

Sweet honey presents on the nose with ripe notes of white peach. A mouth-watering entry of apricot and peach leads to a deliciously sweet and mouth-filling mid palate, with honeycomb and tropical fruit to finish. An elegant and beautifully balanced wine.


variety : Chenin Blanc [ 100% Chenin Blanc ]
winemaker : Francois Joubert
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 10.0 % vol  rs : 226 g/l  pH : 3.68  ta : 9.4 g/l  
type : Dessert  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
2013 Michelangelo International Wine Awards of South African – Gold Medal
in the vineyard : Steeped in tradition, and as rare as it is unique, the Carillon is an instrument composed of 23 brass bells weighing in at well over a ton. Customarily housed in a belfry, or a bell tower, similar to the iconic feature found at Asara estate, the Carillon played correctly produces a beautiful harmony that belies its seemingly impossible complexity. Asara’s Carillon is made in a natural style that depends on a concert of factors that can't be controlled by human hands. For the grapes to go to the noble rot that produces the honeyed complexity so sought after in this style of the wine, a balance must occur between the vineyard humidity and the sunshine received by the vines. Two specific vineyards provide the grapes for the wine: both positioned ideally to receive both moisture and sunshine in good quantity. The grapes are left to hang on the vines long after ripening to encourage the development of botrytis, or noble rot. The grapes then desiccate to a fifth of their normal capacity, producing a deliciously sweet juice of syrup consistency. Asara's Carillon is part of the Specialty Range, whose eclectic collection offers wines both out of the ordinary, and true to the quality of an estate whose vinous history dates back to 1691.

Produced from two vineyard blocks. The youngest, at nine years of age, is situated in a small gully at an altitude of 200m. A small but permanent water source contributes humidity, while the soil type, Tukulu, is both moisture-retentive and high in mineral content, the latter contributing elegance to the fruit. The vineyard is planted northwest to southeast, attracting sun in the morning and afternoon. A second vineyard, aged 13 years, is planted at the much lower altitude of 60m above the sea, and as such attracts an abundance of mist from False Bay in the morning. The soil type is Glen Rosa, and the vineyard faces east to west, resulting in constant sun exposure towards the top of the canopy. The average yield is 4-5 tons per hectare, but noble rot renders this a much smaller harvest of desiccated fruit.

about the harvest: Harvest takes place in the coolness of early morning when the grapes reach 40-45° Balling. Small lugs are used to prevent the loss of juice.

in the cellar : The grapes are cooled to 5°C overnight, and hand sorted the following morning. A bag press is used to press the grapes and stems, the latter for better traction, and the juice resides for two days on the skins and stems. The bag press is rotated, the juice is inoculated, and fermentation begins. When fermentation is well under way the juice is pressed again and racked to barrels; these being seven year-old 225 litre French barriques. The barrels are closed for 6-8 months to minimise exposure to oxygen, and turned periodically in lieu of opening, to stir up the lees. The wine is bottled immediately, preserving fruit freshness, elegance and acidity.

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OTHER VINTAGES

Chenin Blanc