2010 The Mentors, Grenache Blanc, KWV, Cape, South-Africa, Paarl

KWV* The Mentors’ offer celebrates the diversity of the soils and the climate that together influence the different styles of South African wines. The grapes used to develop these wines are made by specific site selection and a treatment and special care in the vineyard and cellar. The result? Wines without equal that reflect the best of everything South Africa has to offer. It is the absolute top range of the KWV.

The vineyard is planted on granite-based soils in the heart of Paarl. Even though the vineyard is relatively young, it produces a wide variety of different fruit flavors that add complexity to the resulting wine. The vineyard is meticulously controlled to ensure that the fruit will be optimally ripe at harvest time, to produce a concentrated, flavorful wine.

The grapes were destemmed and crushed and the juice was left to settle overnight. This juice was then inoculated with a yeast strain selected and isolated from the Rhone valley in France. Halfway through fermentation a portion of the juice was transferred to barrel to complete fermentation, preserve clean fruit flavors and minerality and for further maturation.

No malolactic fermentation was allowed at any stage. The wine was kept on lees for 80 days and stirred regularly. Although only second and third fill barrels were used for the oak component, 40% of the tank’s fermented wine was blended back to achieve the desired fruit and oak balance. This process was followed by 6 months of aging (15% second + 85% third fill).

Total Production : 5 300 bottles

*Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging