Capensis Silene 2019
It never ceases to amaze me how I insist on holding onto my ABC tendencies...despite an every growing list of beautiful Chardonnays that I've thoroughly enjoyed.
Case in point - this Capensis Silene!
The Wine:
Pale lemon, with a pronounced nose of citrus blossoms, ripe lemons, peaches, tart apricots, pineapple, salted caramel, nutmeg, vanilla bean, creme brûlée, and steel-like minerality.
Dry, high acidity, medium (+) bodied, high alcohol that’s definitely apparent and has quite a kick once you’ve swallowed, and a looooong finish. Touches of oak join the bright fruit: vanilla, caramel, nutmeg. But most distinctive is a herbal undertone from the very first sip...together with a hollow burnt sugar that is a delicious counterpoint to the creamy finish.
The nose seems to die fairly shortly after pouring into the glass...but the intensity of the flavours persists with each sip. My only criticism is that you really feel the heat of the alcohol...but that’s not really a criticism for someone like me who’s favourite wine is vodka?!?
Vini + Viti:
There's little information about this wine. It's a blend of grapes from two mountain vineyards: their estate Fijnbosch vineyard (42%) and the neighbouring Nooitgedacht vineyard (58%). The wine spent 10 months in French oak, 30% of which were new.
Final thoughts
I have been raving about the Dalkeith Kalmoesfontein Chenin Blanc for a while now - and the Capensis wines are made by the same winemaker, Graham Weerts. Needless to say, I've become a big fan.
Find the Wine:
https://www.capensiswines.com/za
