2020 Metzer Montane Chenin Blanc

100% Chenin blanc. A single-vineyard wine from a bush vine parcel planted in 1964. The vineyard is situated on the foothills of the Helderberg West Peak, South Africa.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The guiding principle for Wade Metzer’s winemaking philosophy is that winemaking must always respect the fruit. To achieve this he uses non-interventionist principles; no mechanical interventions, indigenous yeasts and no fining or filtration. Many of his wines are Old Vine Certified, including this Chenin.

This wine is one of Wade Metzer’s two single site, Old VIne, Chenin Blancs – this one was planted in 1964 and is situated on the Helderberg foothills. While both are vinified identically, the wines are stylistically different, which really highlights the sense of place of each site.

Vinification

In order to preserve fruit integrity, the grapes were picked in the early hours of the morning. After pressing and a brief period of skin contact, the juice was transferred to a tank and allowed to settle overnight (without the use of settling enzymes). The settled wine was transferred to old oak barrels, in which fermentation occurred. 9 months of barrel ageing, on the lees without stirring, followed before bottling (after a coarse filtration).