BACKSBERG ESTATE CELLARS — CHENIN BLANC (Vintage 2014, White) Country: South Africa Region: Coastal, Western Cape Grape: Chenin Blanc
The Coastal Region was the birthplace of South Africa’s wine industry, forming a significant wine-producing area in the Western Cape that’s the heart of the industry. It accounts for nearly half of all the area under vine in the entire country. Backsberg has about 271 acres by the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains, close to Cape Town, a great area for growing grapes. This winery is one of only three in the world to gain Carbon Neutral status by sequestrating its carbon emissions.
This pure Premium Chenin Blanc wine is from fruit harvested from 9 year-old trellised vines grown at 738 feet above sea level. (Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted white wine grape in South Africa.) The final product is a straightforward, clean, natural wine, pale green with golden hues in the glass. On the nose, this wine shows pear, green apple and cashews to provide an array of aromatic characters. This wine is vivid with ripe fruit tempered by finely balanced acidity giving it a mouth filling, yet refreshing palate, followed by a lingering finish.
The wine is ready to be enjoyed now. Serve chilled as an aperitif or with lobster, braised chicken, and Oriental dishes. If you are a sushi devotee, this is the perfect wine for you.
CHENIN BLANC GRAPES — An ancient grape, Chenin Blanc can be traced back to 845 AD. With good acidity level, thin skin and high natural sugar content, it is very suitable for sparkling, sweet and dry wines of fine character. Also known as Pineau de la Loire and Steen, this white grape variety was brought to South Africa by settlers from the Loire Valley of France. It performs exceptionally well in the warm South African climate and accounts for nearly one-fifth of all vineyard plantings there.
