By Boschkloof
2022 'Kottabos' Skin Fermented Chenin Blanc

Wine Details
Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyard: Karibib Vineyard
Vine Age: 40 years old
Soil Type: Weathered granite
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Fermentation: Native, open-top in stainless steel (100% whole-bunch)
Skin Contact: 6 days
Aging: 10 months in neutral 500L French puncheons
Alcohol: 12.50%
pH: 3.58
Total Acidity: 5.4 g/L
Total SO2: 78 ppm

Background
Kottabos is a Greek drinking game of the highest skill � where after many glasses of wine, one elegantly flings the leftover lees from naturally unfiltered wine toward predetermined targets in the room with fellow drinking friends. In this case, �Kottabos' is a small side project from Reenen Borman of Boschkloof in which he experiments with more adventurous winemaking techniques on grapes grown in the Polkadraai Hills. In 2020 Reenen wanted to get even a bit more experimental and produced one barrel of skin-fermented Chenin from the Karibib Vineyard. The results were positive, and this spicy and textured wine is now in its third iteration.

Production
The Chenin was handpicked exclusively from the Karibib Vineyard in the Polkadraai Hills and entirely fermented whole bunch in an open-top stainless steel fermenter. Reenen hand plunged the clusters throughout the course of each day for 6 days. He then pressed the juice to a single neutral 500L French puncheon to finish fermentation and mature on the lees. Following 10 months of aging, the wine was bottled directly from barrel with just a light sheet filtration and small sulfur addition. No fining.

Tasting Note
The nose opens with aromas of honey, baking spices, and sun-soaked hay bales. Ripe citrus fruit, chamomile, and hints of sushi ginger are evoked on the palate, which is beautifully balanced and textured. The finish is slightly grippy and unfurls for quite some time.

By Van Loggerenberg
2021 Chenin Blanc 'Trust Your Gut' Western Cape

Producer Notes
This is the fifth release of this seminal example of Chenin Blanc grown in granite. Lukas had always listened to his inner self, who knew what was right, even when the mind said otherwise. His gut told him that taking two components and blending them would make a greater example of the sites rather than on their own. This is symbolically illustrated on the label with the sailor needing to find his way with a compass and the bee inherently knowing where to find pollen. Lukas feels that Chenin Blanc is the perfect narrator of site, and that too often, wine nerds get fixated on the single-vineyard Chenins to tell that story.

Vineyard Notes
Two vineyards were used for this wine. The first is the Uitvlug farm in Joubertskloof, on the Western edge of the Paardeberg, adjacent to Eben Sadie's farm. This vineyard tells - via the Chenin - a story of elegance, focus, and mineral and herbal tones with subdued fruit. The famed Karibib Vineyard in the Polkadraai region of Stellenbosch is a bit louder, providing bass notes and a glossy, intense, yellow fruit with salinity and great depth.

Vineyard Details
Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyard: Uitvlug Farm (Joubertskloof - Swartland), Karibib Vineyard (Polkadraai - Stellenbosch)
Vine Age: 41 years old (Swartland), 35 years old (Stellenbosch)
Soil: Decomposed granite over clay (Swartland), granitic sand (Stellenbosch)
Viticulture: Practicing organic, dry farmed

Vinification Notes
The parcels were hand-harvested, whole-bunch pressed in stainless steel, then left to settle overnight. The wine was racked in third-fill French oak demi-muids the next morning, and the parcels were kept separate for fermentation and maturation. Fermentation occurred naturally without any additions, with malolactic fermentation blocked via a naturally cooler temperature. The wine aged on its gross lees and with no battonage. After nine months, the wine was racked, and Lukas made the final blend.

Vinification Details
Fermentation: Native, whole-bunch pressed and left to settle overnight, then racked to old French 500-liter demi-muids
Skin Contact: None
Aging: Nine months on gross lees in neutral 500-liter French demi muids

Technical Details
Alcohol: 13.00%
pH: 3.34
Total Acidity: 6.10 g/L
Total SO2: 94 ppm

Tasting Notes
Citrus and peach explode on the palate with slight but unencumbered notes of reduction, followed by chamomile and raw honey. The medium palate is invigorating, with well-proportioned acidity, and the finish persists like a setting sun over False Bay.

By Thorne and Daughters
2021 Old Vine Chenin Blanc 'Cat's Cradle'

Vineyard Notes
Swartland Chenin Blanc needs no introduction, having long assumed its place among the world's key expressions of Chenin Blanc. Langkloof, where John sources the grapes for this wine, is an old bush vine Chenin Blanc vineyard planted on the granite slopes of Paardeberg that belong to the Rossouw family. The vineyard is situated between parcels owned by Eben Sadie and Chris Alheit, which says something about its aptitude for greatness. John has worked with this vineyard for a few years but never had enough fruit to bottle a varietal Chenin Blanc until 2017, making 2021 the 5th vintage of this cuvee.

Vineyard Details
Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyard: Two blocks of the Langkloof Vineyard, farmed by Scholts Roussouw (Aprilskloof, Paardeberg)
Vine Age: 42 years old
Soil: Weathered schist with sandy loam
Viticulture: Sustainable, dry-farmed

Vinification Notes
As with all of the wines, the winemaking is pretty simple. Hand-picked whole bunches are basket-pressed directly into old French barrels (larger ones, in this case) with the gross lees. No sulfur addition. Fermentation kicks off naturally, with malolactic following right after. A tiny hit of sulfur is added in the winter for light protection, and then the wine is aged for nine months. After this maturation, the barrels are racked into a tank, where the wine settles naturally and is bottled using crossflow filtration and just a small sulfur addition. No fining.

Vinification Details
Fermentation: Native, whole-bunch pressed to two old French demi-muids
Skin Contact: None
Aging: Nine months in neutral 228-liter French oak barrels

Technical Details
Alcohol: 12.00%
pH: 3.22
Total Acidity: 7.00 g/L
Total SO2: 64 ppm

Tasting Notes
The wine shows aromas of lemon balm, apple blossom, exotic waxes, and honey. A textured palate is lifted by bright acidity and a wet stone freshness with a long finish.

[Information provided by Vine Street Imports]