Thorne and Daughters Cat's Cradle Chenin Blanc, 2022, 750ml

Description

"The Chenin Blanc grapes for the ‘Cat's Cradle’ are sourced from a single vineyard planted in 1979 in the ‘Langkloof’ (Long Valley) on Swartland’s Paardeberg mountain. These old bush vines produce very small yields of intensely concentrated berries. The site is situated on an easterly slope at 240m above sea level on decomposed granite soils, resulting in a signature freshness. The vineyard is farmed sustainably.

The winemaking for the `Cat's Cradle` is simple and minimalistic, in order to express the unique character of this vineyard. The grapes were whole bunch pressed in an old basket press, without any addition of sulphur at this stage. A rough settling followed, after which the wines underwent alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeast, followed by malolactic fermentation in used oak barrels, resulting in supple texture while retaining the wine’s core aromatics.