Zevenwacht The Tin Mine White 2015 (6/case) (R99/BOTTLE)

Wine Style:

 

Fragrant & Dry

 

When to Enjoy:

 

Over lazy lunches or sipping at sunset

 

How to Serve:

 

Chilled

 

Our meal suggestions:

 

Delicious with full flavoured grilled fish or sumptuous lobster and avocado salad or chicken fillets dressed with a creamy basil sauce are some suggestions you can try.

 

The wine itself:

 

Ripe and exotic, a distinctive, spicy wine that is rich and subtly oaked, with a slight aroma of roasted almonds. The Chardonnay gives superb lime-citrus flavors; the Viognier lends a delicate perfume of dried peaches and apricots while the Roussanne and Chenin acts like salt and pepper, spicing things up!

 

What about the grapes?

 

This wine consists of 45% Chardonnay, 31% Chenin, 19% Viognier,  & 5% Roussanne.

 

And the vineyards (terroir):

 

Four different vineyards were used to make this wine. The Chardonnay & Roussanne grapes were hand harvested from South Westerly facing vineyards on Zevenwacht (Polkadraai Hills). The Viognier and Chenin were hand harvested from North-facing vineyards on Zevenrivieren (The Banhoek valley). All these vineyards are lying at altitudes that range from 300-500 meters above sea level; these higher elevated slopes tend to give the blending partners a beautiful natural acidity, resulting in a pleasant pungency. The richness and full-bodied fruit has  been accentuated by the open canopies of the vineyards during ripening. All these flavours are backed with a flinty minerality from the decomposed granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills.

 

How was it made?

 

The Chardonnay grapes were harvested at 24ºBrix and lightly crushed. After pressing the juice was settled and racked to first and second fill 500l barrels.   The Viognier and Chenin were whole-bunch pressed and racked to first, second and third fill French 500l barrels, where it fermented and matured for 8 months.  10% of the Chenin grapes and all of the Roussanne were pressed, settled and the clear juice was racked to stainless steel tanks. Cool tank fermentation has allowed outstanding expression of the pungent yellow fruit characters of this component. Extended post fermentation lees contact lends a mid-palate weight and a creamy texture.

 

Should this wine age / mature?

 

Barrel maturation gives the wine potential to develop over 3 – 5 years

 

Technical Facts:

 

Grape Origin: Stellenbosch

Grape Varieties: Chardonnay,  Chenin, Viognier & Roussanne

Body:  Medium

Barrel Treatment: Partially wooded

 

Alc:13.5%   

Ph:3.38   

Acid:5.4g/l   

RS:1.8g/l