Chenin Blanc 'Stellenbosch - Old Bush Vines', Damascene 2023

• 100% Chenin Blanc • Sourced from 3 hilltop sites in Bottelary ward: Sonop, Houmoed, and Mooiplaas • Sonop block was planted in 1982 on shale situated NE extreme of the mountain range • Houmoed block was planted in 1972 on Greywacke soils situated on extremely steep North facing slopes • The Mooiplaas block was planted in 1980 on a granitic outcrop overlooking False Bay and Table Bay • Hand harvested • Whole clusters were sorted and pressed with a delicate champagne-cycle • Each block was fermented separately with indigenous yeast and matured separately • A small portion was fermented on the skins • Roughly 30% of the way through fermentation, the grape must was transferred to 1000L oval-shaped Austrian oak foudres, followed by 11 months of sur lie maturation • No battonage