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Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc

2022

Outstanding value Chenin from one of the most exciting winemakers in South Africa.

A wonderful dry Chenin Blanc from Swartland, South Africa. The wine spends some time on its lees providing it with an incredible texture. It has a striking minerality with notes of peach, honey, orange blossom, and white stone fruits. A small proportion of the wine is fermented in oak adding to the silky texture of this wine. This really shouldn't cost as little as it does, but there we go!

The Chenin Blanc grapes are mostly from the Kalmoesfontein farm situated on the northern side of the Paardeberg Mountain. Their neighbour also supplies them with some exceptional old vine fruit–making them the world’s smallest co-op! They maintain that high quality fruit comes from old unirrigated bush vines grown on a variety of granite soils that are naturally low yielding. Most of the estates Chenin vines were planted in the late 1960’s to mid-1970 and tend to yield around 4tons/hectare.

The grapes were hand-picked with great care and chilled overnight in a cold storage room. The following day they were wholebunch pressed into a settling tank. The picking occured over a period of 12 days and each day fresh juice was added to the already fermenting tanks–this extended the alcoholic fermentation by about 20 days but was also very important in the complete integration of the wine as all the various components were fermented together. Some of the juice was also fermented in older casks and large oak 'foudres'. This wine was left on its gross lees for 7 months before being bottled.

Details

More Information
Wine Type	White wine
Closure	Screw Cap
Alc. Vol	13.5
Units	10.12
Region	Western Cape
Country	South Africa
Grape Varietal	Chenin Blanc
Food Pairings	Seafood

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What is organic wine?

Organic wine is wine made from grapes grown in accordance with the principles of organic farming. This excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Previously, “Made with Organically Grown Grapes” was legally the only claim possible, but regulations introduced in 2012 now allow the whole winemaking process, from harvest to bottle, to be certified by law.

The definition does still vary from country to country though. In the US, no additional sulfites may be added to any organic product, including wine. In the EU, added sulfites are allowed, though there are limits on how much. Most other wine-producing countries do not have their own standards for organic wine and observe the standards of the nation importing the wine.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety that is grown throughout the world, most notably in the French Loire Valley and South Africa. It’s a variety that produces a wide range of styles, from sparkling wines and lean, dry whites to sweet, golden nectars and brandy. The grape itself provides a fairly neutral palate, being able to flaunt the expression of terroir, vintage variation, and the winemaker’s treatment.

In South Africa, Chenin (also called Steen) is the most widely planted variety. It is sometimes blended with Semillon, Viognier, and Marsanne to make a richer-styled wine similar to an oaked Chardonnay. It can also blended with Sauvignon Blanc to create a fresh and zesty dry wine.

The Loire Valley is much cooler in climate. The high acid, less ripe grapes make a great base for sparkling (Crémant de Loire). Riper grapes are used in the richly aromatic, off-dry styles (Vouvray). Finally, at the end of the harvest season, the last grapes picked are beyond ripe or affected with noble rot, which concentrates the grapes’ sugars, lending rich flavours of marmalade, ginger, and saffron. These late harvest grapes go into the famous sweet wines of the region, including Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux.