Waterford Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2020

The colour has a lovely soft yellow-green hue. The main aromas are white pear and pithy grapefruit, followed by elements of peach pip, light honeycomb and soft floral notes. The mouth-feel is layered and smooth but holds a tremendous amount of mineral flavour and depth. The concrete egg fermentation drives purity and minerality which creates a lovely fresh and soft “sweet fruit” finish on the palate.

Good winter rains but still below the long term average. We experienced a few odd warm days during winter as well as snowfall during late winter / early spring. The rain helped with the increase of dam levels. These conditions also prepped for good, even budding to start the growing season. During ripening, an odd heat wave was experienced. Overall lovely warm days and cooler nights allowed for perfect ripening and earlier picking dates. This resulting in lovely fresh flavoured and rich wines with relatively low alcohol levels.

To best preserve purity of fruit, berry bunches are hand-harvested in the early morning and whole bunch pressed directly to concrete eggs for natural fermentation. The concrete eggs are neutral in flavour and allow the wine to remain vibrant and to express itself fully. Old vines are not necessarily fruit forward but often bring tremendous layers and complexity to the palate.