Winemaker Notes
Elegant and aromatic wine displaying generous tropical fruit and citrus flavors. Subtle oak influence adds complexity and length while the finish is crisp and smooth.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Estate Chenin Blanc, the current release, leads with cheesecloth, preserved citrus, clove, star anise and fennel. There is botrytis here from the end-of-season pick; since the grapes for this wine are picked in several tranches, the overall picking window can extend as far as a month from start to finish. The last pick, which is the ripest, can often be at 15° to 16° Baumé and, as in this vintage, contain some botrytis. Personally, I applaud this move for this wine, as it provides favorable, additional complexity and texture. It is viscose and oily and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
Quite remote and unequalled in beauty, the wine regions of Westerm Australia promise endless physical and climatic diversity. From the coolest, seaside vineyards to the hottest inland zones, Western Australia is the source of some of the country’s most sought after wines.