Gabrielskloof Elodie Chenin Blanc 2023

Gabrielskloof Elodie Chenin Blanc

Region: Walker Bay, Bot River, Cape South Coast, South Africa

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 13.5%

This wine is light golden in colour with lifted aromas of wild herbs, honeysuckle and citrus peel. The palate is layered and complex with rich texture and glossy stone fruit, tempered by mouth-watering acidity and impressive length.

The fruit for this wine is sourced from four vineyards, three of which are located in the Swartland (Nuwedam, Nuweland and Uitvlug vineyards). The other, the Contermanskloof vineyard, is to the south in Durbanville. All of the vineyards are estimated to be over 40 years old. They are dryland bush vine vineyards and have never been irrigated. As a result of the arid conditions, these sites yield little fruit (between one and three tonnes per hectare), but with immense concentration. South Africa is the only New World country that has significant plantings of old-vine Chenin Blanc, and Elodie is an expression of what can be made from this national treasure.

Gabriëlskloof is a beautiful wine estate located near Bot River in the Overberg region east of Cape Town. It was purchased in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns, who had been on the lookout for the ideal place to plant vines. The talented Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum, Bernhard’s son in law, took over as winemaker from the 2015 vintage. Peter-Allan is now Cellar Master and oversees general management of the property, while the young and no less talented Nina Muller was promoted to winemaker. The farm has 178 hectares, with 68 hectares planted with vines. The climate is cool with maritime influences coming from Walker Bay. The vineyards are farmed sustainably with the support of fulltime vineyard consultant Rosa Kruger. Their aim is to move to organic farming in the future.

https://gabrielskloof.co.za