2020 Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc
Apr 16, 2022
WINE: 2020 Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc
REGION: Paarl, South Africa
BLEND: Chenin Blanc
ABV: 13%
NOTES:
This wine is a showcase of the versatility of old vine Chenin Blanc for which South Africa has built up a strong reputation. It has a light straw color with a golden hue, showing white peach notes, citrus and pineapple on the nose, a creamy and ripe mouthfeel coupled with vibrant acidity, and a superb minerality tying it all together on the finish. This wine has the intensity and structure to develop gracefully over the next 5 -7 years.
This old vine Chenin Blanc has an attractive bouquet, not the most complex you will find of its type, but one that I think will have wide appeal with its engaging tropical tones laced with beeswax. The well-balanced palate features orange pith, passion fruit and dried mango, and a discreet spiciness enhances the finish. This 2020 vintage year was a dry and short season, the third year in our drought. However, the average temperatures were moderate with unusually cool evenings which resulted in substantial preservation of aromatics in the wine as well as an overall healthy crop. The lower temperatures also encouraged good moisture retention in the soils, resulting in exceptional flavor preservation on the white wines.
PAIRINGS:
This wine would pair very well with shellfish, white fish or poultry. Great sipper on its own too.