Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021
The Bernard Series was named after Bernard Podlashuk, visionary co-founder of the Bellingham brand and maverick winemaker. Never quite satisfied to be just ordinary, he is recognised for his daring vision, sheer audacity and unabated drive that helped place South African wine on the map. The legend of his tenacity and innovation lives on through the Bernard series, Bellingham’s premium range of hand-crafted wines.
Aromatic
£24.00
| Producer | Bellingham |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Franschhoek, Western Cape |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Body / Style | Aromatic |
| Grape Blend | 100% Chenin Blanc |
| Bottle Size (ml) | 750 |
| % Abv | 13.5 |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Special Features | Vegan |
| Extra Info | Limited Release Old Vine Chenin |
Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc is defined by its cool climate origins and exudes tropical notes with hints of ripe lime, marmalade on toast, underlying stone fruit and oak spice. The palate is rich yet tight, fresh and bright with a distinctive green apple core that runs through to the finish. Overall a fruit forward and seamless wine with power and balance that will develop and drink well for many years.
What is about an old vine that makes it so compelling? Its gnarled appearance only gives away some of the mystery. The true story of many seasons weathered can only be truly appreciated in the multi-dimensional wines these resilient plants produce. The Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc is one of the very first old-vine focused wines in South Africa. This vineyard planted in 1983 in the cool climate of Cape Town, is a rare and sought-after site in the area. The unirrigated single vineyard is planted on a combination of shale and granite soils, and cooled by sea breezes Table Bay and False Bay.
When it comes to old vine wines, the vineyards should make the wines and not the winemaker. This approach followed by our winemaker to allow the terroir to express itself naturally without interference. Harvesting of these old vines takes place in two phases. The first batch is destined as the “fruit or nose” component, and is fermented naturally in Foudre, concrete tanks and Amphorae. The later or riper harvested component ferments naturally in mostly older 300 L barrels, and fills out the palate of the wine. After fermentation, the barrels are bâtonnaged monthly for around 10 months, after which the components are tasted, blended and bottled.
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