False Bay Chenin Blanc, Waterkloof Estate

Region

Western Cape, South Africa

Vintage:

2023

Producer:

False Bay Vineyards

Grapes:

Chenin Blanc

Wine Description:

Bready aromas and dried herbaceous notes, including fennel and aniseed dominate the nose, followed by a creamy lemon character. The palate is reminiscent of the nose, with great textural complexity, attributable to the long, slow wild yeast fermentation.

Tasting Note:

Wild yeast fermentation is key to this benchmark Chenin Blanc. The long wild yeast ferment provides bready aromas and additional complexity to the wine. Dried herbaceous notes, including fennel and aniseed from the nearby fynbos, dominate the nose, followed by a creamy lemon character. The palate is reminiscent of the nose, with great textural complexity, attributable to the long, slow wild yeast fermentation.

Vegetarian, Vegan

Food Suggestion:

A versatile wine equally well suited to partner lobster and other seafood, risotto or herb roast chicken. Can also handle spice very well.

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Producer Description

An independent company, owned by Waterkloof founder Paul Boutinot, False Bay Vineyards aims to make 'real' wine affordable. These are sustainable certified wines bottled in South Africa and naturally crafted from mature and often old vineyards that, crucially, are naturally in balance. This means that, unusually at the price, the grapes from these coastal gems can be transformed into wine with wild yeast and an absolute minimum of intervention.

False Bay Vineyards is proud to be a WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Biodiversity Champion and certified by WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association). All of their wines are Vegan friendly. False Bay - Real Wine.

Named after South Africa’s most iconic bay, which frames much of the country’s premium winelands, False Bay Vineyards was borne out of a desire to make ‘real’ wine affordable.

Back in 1994, long before founding Waterkloof – his regenerative vineyard overlooking False Bay- Paul Boutinot came to the Western Cape to seek out and rescue grapes from old, balanced and under-appreciated vineyards. These treasures were otherwise destined to be lost in the large co-operative blends that were dominating South Africa’s wine industry back then.

Unusually for that time, Paul transformed those Cape gems into wines with a minimum of intervention: Wild yeast ferments, no acid additions…you know the drill. A familiar story to many ‘real wine’ lovers now, but back then he was swimming against the tide. Even today, making wine this way at the price-level is almost unheard of.

Today the ingredients remain the same for Waterkloof’s Cellar Master Nadia Barnard: Fantastic coastal fruit, old vines and wild yeast abound, with additions avoided.