Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
This wine displays a medium light straw hue in the glass with a green tinge and is made in a ripe tropical style with a split personality being elegant on the one hand but serious and bold on the other. Tropical flavours of ripe yellow peaches, white pear, a touch of vanilla blossoms, toast, butterscotch, orange skin and pineapple meet you on the nose. This wine shows many layers as the Chenin Blanc opens up. Good structure and ripe fruit are well complimented by the wood and can definitely mature for another 10 years.
Vinification details
The grapes are destalked and crushed into small static separators. Skin contact is maintained for 12 hours and only free run juice is used. There follows 21 days fermentation at 15˚C before maturation in barrel: 100% French Oak (1st fill, 2nd and 3rd) for 10 months. Only the best barrels were selected for the blend.
Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
Tropical flavours of ripe yellow peaches, white pear, a touch of vanilla blossoms, toast, butterscotch, orange skin and pineapple meet you on the nose. This wine shows many layers as the Chenin Blanc opens up. Good structure and ripe fruit are well complimented by the wood and can definitely mature for another 10 years.
Vinification details
The grapes are destalked and crushed into small static separators. Skin contact is maintained for 12 hours and only free run juice is used. There follows 21 days fermentation at 15˚C before maturation in barrel: 100% French Oak (1st fill, 2nd and 3rd) for 10 months. Only the best barrels were selected for the blend.
Tasting Video
Tasting video of the 2022 South African Wine Tasting Championship (SAWTC) – tasted by Cathy van Zyl MW and J.V Ridon ASI Diploma
Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
Displays a medium light straw hue in the glass. This is made in a ripe style; elegant, serious and bold. Tropical flavours of ripe yellow peaches, white pear, a touch of vanilla blossoms, toast, butterscotch, orange skin and pineapple.
Vinification details
After careful monitoring for optimal picking times, adopting a combination of sampling and tasting to optimise the richer tropical (thiol) notes, the grapes were harvested, crushed and destalked into small static separators. Only free run juice was used, following 24 hours’ skin contact. Fermentation lasted 21 days at 15°C. Barrel maturation took place in 100% French oak (1st, 2nd and 3rd fill) for 10 months. Only the best 5 barrels were selected for the blend.
Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
Displays a medium light straw hue in the glass. This is made in a ripe style; elegant, serious and bold. Tropical flavours of ripe yellow peaches, white pear, a touch of vanilla blossoms, toast, butterscotch, orange skin and pineapple.
Vinification details
After careful monitoring for optimal picking times, adopting a combination of sampling and tasting to optimise the richer tropical (thiol) notes, the grapes were harvested, crushed and destalked into small static separators. Only free run juice was used, following 24 hours’ skin contact. Fermentation lasted 21 days at 15°C. Barrel maturation took place in 100% French oak (1st, 2nd and 3rd fill) for 10 months. Only the best 5 barrels were selected for the blend.
Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
A beautiful, medium light straw hue in the glass, balanced with a mineral freshness. This wine shows many different layers and immense complexity, with great length and undertones of orange peel and yellow peaches. Wood and fruit acid is well integrated and pronounces the fruit while retaining structure.
Vinification details
After careful monitoring for optimal picking times, adopting a combination of sampling and tasting to optimise the richer tropical (thiol) notes, the grapes were harvested, crushed and destalked into small static separators. Only free run juice was used, following 24 hours’ skin contact. Fermentation lasted 21 days at 15°C. Barrel maturation took place in 100% French Oak (1st, 2nd and 3rd fill) for 10 months. Only the best 5 barrels were selected for the blend.
Technical Analysis
Darling Cellars' Old Bush Vine range comes from specific old bush vines which are selected for their typicity in reflecting their soils and location.
Tasting note
A beautiful, medium light straw hue in the glass, balanced with a mineral freshness. This wine shows many different layers and immense complexity, with great length and undertones of orange peel and yellow peaches. Wood and fruit acid is well integrated and pronounces the fruit while retaining structure.
Vintage conditions
The winter and spring leading up to the 2016 vintage were among the driest in recent years. Normal rainfall in the area is about 450mm, but in 2016 this was only 176mm. Winter temperatures were not as cold as normal; unfortunately there was an unexpected heat wave at the end of October that rushed some of the earlier cultivars and meant that the veraison period was shorter than normal. After that temperatures stayed on the higher-than-normal side and the rain stayed away. The ripening period was subsequently shorter than normal due to the drier and warmer conditions.
With very little rain during the berry-setting and ripening period, the berries stayed very small, giving extra concentration, intense flavours and a very good colour.
Vinification details
After careful monitoring for optimal picking times, adopting a combination of sampling and tasting to optimise the richer tropical (thiol) notes, the grapes were harvested, crushed and destalked into small static separators. Only free run juice was used, following 24 hours’ skin contact. Fermentation lasted 21 days at 15°C. Barrel maturation took place in 100% French Oak (1st, 2nd and 3rd fill) for 10 months. Only the best 5 barrels were selected for the blend.
