4th Wine: De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc

De Morgenzon, ‘the morning sun,’ was so named because it is the first part of the Stellenboschkloof valley to see the sun because of its high altitude and aspects.
While the vineyards could be called ‘mountain vineyards’ they prefer them to be known as ‘garden vineyards’.
In Spring specially chosen wildflowers flourish between our vines.
They believe that a biodiverse and ecologically sensitive environment produces infinitely better grapes and the beauty of our gardens is captured in every bottle of our wine.
Most interestingly they pipe Baroque music through our vineyards 24hours and day, 7 days a week and believe that the power of music positively influences the ripening process.
WHY BAROQUE MUSIC I hear you ask?
Galileo Galilei observed in 1623 that the entire universe “is written in the language of mathematics”,
The ‘scientific’ approach to music reached its height in the Baroque period, and it’s greatest proponent was Johann Sebastian Bach.
No, I know that does not answer your question but it is the best I can do having studied their reasoning.
Chenin Blanc now the white grape that S.A. is best known for.
At DeMorgenzon they are totally committed to excellence and focus on crafting wines which express the unique terroir and fruit within a classic structure.
They believe that the finest South African wines combine New World-style fruit with Old World-style elegance.
The relatively cool climate and low humidity gives their wines personality, fruit, flavor and length, but without the aggressive tannins that can mar reds in some growing zones.
The grapes were lightly crushed and the free-run juice was allowed to settle overnight.
The juice was then fermented in French oak barrels for eight months on the lees.
It was then lightly filtered and bottled.
Tasting Note: Pale straw, bright with green tinge. Layers of pineapple, vanilla and quince on the nose. The aromas follow onto the palate culminating in a tropical fruit salad, with crisp acidity and perfectly in balance. The lingering aftertaste is of honeybush, grapefruit and a hint of ginger. This wine is drinking very well now but will improve over the next four years and should last for many more to come.
Enjoy this powerful and full-bodied white on its own or would really suit a rich dish, such as foie-gras or pork.
Robert Parker 91 points rating.
Runner up in Wine Magazine Chenin Blanc challenge.

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