Fleur du Cap’s pursuit of regional excellence through the search for exceptional parcels of vineyards for its top tier wines has culminated in the launch of the first Chenin Blanc and Pinotage in the Unfiltered range.
For cellarmaster Wim Truter, who heads the winemaking team at Die Bergkelder, these new Unfiltered wines reaffirm Fleur du Cap as a proudly South African wine producer:
“These wines are the culmination of a long search for just the right vineyards to produce a top quality Pinotage and Chenin Blanc that can stand out as fine examples of what are probably the country’s most significant grape varieties.”
For the Fleur du Cap team, these wines represent the start of a new journey in their quest for regional excellence with the ultimate aim of creating wines that will stand out as exceptional expressions of their particular cultivars. Guided by Annelie Viljoen, the team’s new viticulturist, Fleur du Cap is focused on seeking out vineyard sites that will best express sought after varietal character and a sense of place in each of the wines in the Unfiltered range.
The story of home-grown South African Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, is legendary and as the world’s biggest producer of Chenin Blanc, the country is certainly a flag bearer for this variety as well.
There is renewed focus on iconic Chenin Blanc wines by the whole industry especially with regard to older vines and Fleur du Cap has been fortunate to secure two gnarled, low-yielding dryland bush vines aged 30 and 20 years respectively for the Unfiltered Chenin Blanc.
“The old bush vines are un-irrigated and have found a natural balance in terms of canopy and yield. It’s not always a question of low yield, but rather the balance in the vine that gives the balanced wine. The wines are quite concentrated and rich, but still have lovely texture and minerality that gives outstanding length, mouthfeel and the age-ability,” explains Truter.
The Unfilterd Chenin Blanc 2014 is a richly layered, bold expression of its Paarl and Darling origins. The Paarl component was fermented in barrel whilst the Darling grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks. Both were left to mature in wood for eight months. The result is a wine of great complexity and prowess.
“Stone fruit, dried apricots and peaches are prominent on the nose, but as you dig deeper the wine opens up to hints of marmalade and a touch of wood spice,” says winemaker Pieter Badenhorst, who describes the palate as “big, bold and viscose with the potential to age extremely well”.
The fruit, structure and minerality create a well-balanced medley of flavours ensuring enduring length on the palate. Savour this wine on its own or pair it with rich, creamy dishes.
Although relatively young, the Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Pinotage 2014 is a fruit forward wine with soft tannins and a juicy mid-palate. Whiffs of sweet oak spice imparted during 12 months of barrel maturation, complement aromas of strawberry and cherry that follow through onto the palate.
“When we tasted the barrels for the selection we felt that we had to capture the fruit purity and the essence of the two vineyard blocks by rather taking it out of barrel and bottling the wine early. It has thus spent the time in bottle rather than barrel,” explains Truter.
The grapes come from low-yielding bush vines in Bottelary and Agter Paarl. After regular punch downs in open-top fermenters, the wine was gently pressed in a small basket press and left to mature in barrel with just 30% in new oak.
“We found immense fruit concentration on the Pinotage and decided to mature the wine in only a small percentage of new oak. The balance was made up of old barrels, filled straight from the basket press,” adds Truter.
The wine is lush and silky and will work wonderfully with Mediterranean dishes, a charcuterie platter as well as traditional Cape Malay dishes such as bobotie, and Indian curries. “A good Vindaloo or Rogan Josh come to mind,” adds Truter.
Inspired by nature and harking back to more traditional, hands-on winemaking practices, the Fleur du Cap winemaking team manages to unlock the natural expression inherent in the best grapes from select parcels of vines grown in a diverse range of locations each selected for their unique combinations of soils, climate, aspect and orientation that is best suited to the particular varietal throughout the Western Cape. The winemaking team calls this regional excellence.
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chenin Blanc 2014 sells for R108 and the Unfiltered Pinotage 2014 for R135 per bottle at Die Bergkelder cellar door or online at www.vinoteque.co.za. These wines can also be found at select fine dining restaurants and boutique wine stores.
