The Chenin blanc grapes are from a 25-year-old dry land vineyard called Graveyard Chenin after the historic grave within. Yields are typically below 6 tons/hectare. The Viognier and Chardonnay blocks are younger but well exposed on a South-facing slope. Chenin blanc and Viognier are favourites for white blends in the Voor Paardeberg. The fullness of the Chenin blanc, as well as the structure and aroma of the Viognier is tempered by the mineral character, which our granite soils promote. In 2006 the addition of Chardonnay to the blend increased the “lift” on the nose and gave the wine more finesse. All white grapes are whole bunch pressed. This helps retain more of the grape’s natural acidity and promotes rapid, clean juice extraction. This clear juice is transferred directly to 500-litre French oak barrels for fermentation. Some 40% of the wine is fermented spontaneously, ie no pure yeast culture is added. Although a nerve-racking process, this method promotes complexity and results in multi-layered wines. The wine is matured on the yeast lees for 7 months and a high degree of malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously. This malolactic fermentation promotes rich, buttery flavours. The wine spent a total of 11 months in oak before being blended and bottled. Price inclusive of VAT