Week 3: Mulderbosch 2010 Chenin Blanc, Steen op Hout.

            

 

MULDERBOSCH CHENIN BLANC / STEEN OP HOUT 2009

VITICULTURAL PRACTICES

Varietal                                                                  Chenin Blanc 90%

Area                                                                       Western Cape

Soil Type                                                              Various

Age of vines                                                         Various

Trellising                                                              Bush vines and Trellis

Vine Density                                                         Various

Yield                                                                      7-8 tonnes per hectare

Irrigation                                                               Overhead and Drip

Picking date                                                         February – March 2009

Grape Sugar                                                         24.5°B on average

Acidity                                                                  6.0 g/l average at harvest

pH at harvest                                                       3.60

Total production                                                 +/- 16 000 x 12

WINEMAKING PRACTICES

Fermentation temperature                  12 - 25°C

Method

This individual new-wave Chenin was made from low-crop Stellenbosch grapes.  The grapes were harvested

in the early morning to ensure coolness, crushed and then lightly pressed; after which the must was cold settled before being inoculated with a select yeast culture.  Eighty seven percent of the wine was tank fermented while the remaining thirteen percent underwent natural fermentation in barrel. The wines was matured for four months in a combination of new American and Hungarian oak and first fill French oak barrels. The wine was then slightly sweetened with Chenin Blanc Noble Late harvest, fined, sterile filtered and bottled.

Wood ageing

Thirteen percent of the wine was fermented and matured for four months in new American and Hungarian oak and first fill French oak barrels.        

                                                                 

WINE DETAILS

Residual Sugar     7.7 g/l      Total Extract          28.0 g/l                    pH                           3.32

Alcohol                13.74 %    Total Acid              6.7 g/l                      Free SO2                31 mg/l

Total SO2               139 mg/l

Maturation potential Up to 5 - 8 years

TASTING NOTES

Pale yellow in colour with a hint of green.  On the nose, tinned pineapples, guavas, litchi, lemon and lime aromas are abundant.  A clean, lively wine with nuances of nutmeg and cloves.  Well-balanced and elegant, but with weight and a powerful follow-through on the palate.  Stylistically off-dry and lightly oaked this is an excellent food wine.

SUGGESTED FOOD COMBINATIONS

Serve at 12 – 15°C.  Partner with shellfish; grilled tuna; grilled sardines; lemon and herb roast chicken; vegetable stews; Bobotie – South African/Malay dish of baked savoury mince served with saffron rice; and biltong.

ACCOLADES

96 Vintage : SAA listing.  97 Vintage : «««« Wine Magazine – February 1998 edition.

98 Vintage : ««««   Wine Magazine – February 1999 edition; judged a close second in the Wine Magazine’s 1999 Chenin Blanc Challenge out of the 91 wines submitted. 

99 Vintage : ««« Wine Magazine – February 2001 edition.  2001 Vintage : «««¶ Wine Magazine – February 2002 edition.  2002 Vintage :  88 / 100 in USA Wine Spectator – April 2003 edition.  2003 Vintage:  «««« in John Platter.  2004 Vintage:  87/100 in USA Wine Enthusiast – November 2005.  2005 Vintage:  «««« SA Wine Magazine  (February 2007);  in the final eight of 2007 WINE Magazine FNB’S Private Client Chenin Blanc Challenge; 2006 Vintage: «««« in John Platter; 90/100 in USA Wine Spectator, «««« Wine magazine Chenin Blanc Challenge, 2007 Vintage:  «««¶ in John Platter; 89/100 in USA Wine Spectator, «««¶ in Wine Magazine Chenin Blanc Challenge 2008 Vintage: «««¶ in John Platter, 88/100 in USA Wine Spectator 2009 Vintage: 87/100 in USA Wine Spectator May edition, ««« Wine Magazine