Momento Chenin Blanc Verdelho 2022
For Marelise, Chenin Blanc without Verdelho is like dancing without music. Verdelho adds the zing and zest to this blend, giving it that extra twist of freshness, energy and rhythm. The Chenin Blanc grapes come from 40-year-old, dry farmed bush vines in the Swartland and a 36-year-old vineyard in Bot River called ‘Langbene’ (Long legs) named after the vines’ extremely long trunks. The Verdelho grapes come from a vineyard in Voor-Paardeberg planted on decomposed granite and clay, as well as a vineyard in Bot River grown on Bokkeveld shale. Marelise employs a minimalist approach in the cellar to ensure the purest expression of vineyard and variety. The grapes were gently whole bunch basket-pressed. Fermentation took place in 225 and 400 litre old French oak barrels using indigenous yeasts. Some of the fine lees was added back to the juice in barrel to allow for more complex characters and textures to develop. The wine was aged for 10 months in barrel following 100% malolactic fermentation, and bottled without fining. Aromas of quince, white peach and grapefruit rind alongside notes of hay, oatmeal and a wet stone minerality adding freshness and focus. The palate reveals further notes of crunchy green apple, adding freshness and precision from the Verdelho component, leading to a long and precise finish that is dry and pithy.
