With the cold embrace of winter slowly starting to loosen its grip, it’s the perfect time for a Chenin Blanc. Perdeberg is better known as the Home of Chenin Blanc due to the multiple expressions of this significant cultivar in their wine ranges. A true South African drawcard, the Chenin Blanc grape does exceptionally well in the dry land environment. Perdeberg’s award-winning record over the years underscores our Chenin Blanc’s quality and excellence.
Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc 2023
It’s a beautiful thing when everything comes together, like a plan set in decomposed granite long before the harvest. This was the case with the Perdeberg’s Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc 2023. As part of their Dry Land Collection Wines, this Fortified Chenin Blanc is an ultra-premium wine, made from grapes from Dry Land Vineyards, which showcase the uniqueness of the wines grown in this testing terroir.
With an early start, a dry spring, and much-needed rainfall, the grapes had a cool growing climate and the harvest could start a bit earlier due to the favourable weather conditions.
In this wax-sealed bottle you’ll find pure liquid gold, fortified with wine spirits to keep the cold winter at bay. With the potential of ageing another 5 – 8 years, you’ll have to practice all willpower not to pull the cork, because it drinks sensationally now. Suitably harvest-gold in colour, the nose is filled with sweet, bruised yellow and orange stonefruit, converging into a complex, deep hive of citrus and honeycomb.
I paired the Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc 2023 with generous squares of homemade custard slices. Contrary to popular belief, a sweeter wine can pair with desserts, especially this one. I added lemon and grapefruit juice and rind to the icing, allowing the acidity to delicately break through the sweetness and right into the dense custard, echoeing the citrus notes in the wine.
Available online or at Perdeberg Wines cellar door for R170 a bottle.
Click to purchase here!
Get 10% off the Dry Land Collection Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc with code SWEET10OFF!
*Offer valid until the end of August.
Longevity Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2022
The saying, “{a}dversity encourages sweeter fruits,” has never been truer when it comes to @perdebergwinery Dry Land Collection Wines. This ultra-premium range is made from grapes from Dry Land Vineyards, which showcase the uniqueness of the wines grown in this testing terroir.
The Perdeberg Longevity Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2022 is a rich example of how hardship can form and cultivate a sweet success. Grown in Malmesbury shale, the 2022 vintage is one of the longest and latest vintages in history, having faced extreme heat conditions months before harvest.
The result? A beautiful iteration of Chenin Blanc, showcasing the versatility of this beautiful grape. With its intense gold colour, it brings a basket of ripe yellow stone fruit to the front, followed by honeyed citrus, a gorgeous warmth of spice and a viscous finish, coating the palate for a full mouth experience.
I paired this Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc with a citrus conserve and rosemary and pecorino crackers, both homemade with love and time. The citrus conserve is delectably spreadable and denser than marmalade, making use of the whole fruit – offering a contrast between bitterness and sweetness. Herby and crispy, the crackers are the perfect vessel for the citrus conserve, alongside a glass of gold.
Available online or at Perdeberg Wines cellar door for R170 a bottle.
Click to purchase here!
Get 10% off the Dry Land Collection Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc with code SWEET10OFF!
*Offer valid until the end of August.
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