Bellingham The Founders Series Freda 2017
Beautifully made (only 800 bottles!) oaked white blend
£50.00
| Producer | Bellingham |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Franschhoek, Western Cape |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Grape Blend | Chenin Blanc (40%), Grenache Blanc (30%) and Sauvignon Blanc (30%) |
| Bottle Size (ml) | 750 |
| % Abv | 13.5 |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Extra Info | Only 5 barrels made |
| Food Pairing Guide | With its aromatic bouquet, ripe tropical fruit and oak complexity, this luxurious wine is an excellent match for a wide variety of gourmet cuisine. Complementary dishes include salmon gravadlax, crayfish tandoori and confit duck. |
The revered treatment this Cape-style white blend receives from vineyard to cellar, shows in its tasting. Delicate floral aromas entice on entry, with hints of pear drop, yellow peach and green almonds, which follow through onto the palate. The Sauvignon Blanc component adds a fresh element, providing balance to the considered use of French oak. On the finish, the wine delights with its pithy character and a slight saline edge for a lingering, fresh sensation.
The Founders Series is a very small selection of the best wine in the cellar. It follows the Bellingham style and maximum of 5 barrels are selected every year. The concept is to honour Bellingham's pioneering founders, Fredagh and Bernard Podlashuk, affectionately known as Freda and Pod.
This power couple's bold vision not only for their iconic brand, but the South African wine industry as a whole, left a legacy for the ages. A rare greatness and inspiration, something that these special wines aim to emulate.
Where the magic begins is in the vineyard for this magnificent white blend, comprised of Chenin Blanc (40%), Grenache Blanc (30%) and Sauvignon Blanc (30%). The Chenin Blanc is from two deep-rooted, mature vineyards in Stellenbosch and Durbanville, where the decomposed granite soil contains a high clay content, leading to low stress levels, even in the driest of vintages. The unirrigated blocks deliver structure and varietal detail. The Grenache Blanc comes from the shallow decomposed-granite in the Voor-Paardeberg region, specifically chosen to reduce Grenache vigour and thus lends texture to the blend, while the weathered-shale Sauvignon Blanc (Wine of Origin Cape Town) ensures cool-climate freshness and elegance.
Grapes are hand picked in the vineyard and hand sorted again at the cellar to ensure that only the ripe and top quality fruit continue on the winemaking journey. All three cultivars are fermented in barrels and left on the lees for 12 months with regular batonnage. Half of the Chenin Blanc is fermented in 300 L barrels and half in a first-fill foudre. This large French oak vat enhances the fruitier qualities of the grape. The Grenache Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc are fermented in older barrels, and all barrels are cooled individually for gentle oak extraction and optimal flavor development. Only the finest barrels are selected to produce and a mere 600 liters bottles were selected in this vintage and only 800 bottles were bottled.
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