Waterford Chenin Blanc

Waterford Estate has been working with Chenin Blanc grapes since 1999. Along the journey, a French winemaker from the world-famous Chenin Blanc region of the Loire valley, Cedric Lecareux, joined the Waterford team for the 2001 vintage. Here the true excitement of Chenin Blanc began for Waterford. Our Chenin Blanc grapes are sourced from Old Vines in Stellenbosch. The oldest were originally planted in 1966. To best preserve purity of fruit, berry bunches are hand-harvested in the early morning and whole bunch pressed directly to concrete eggs for natural fermentation. The concrete eggs are neutral in flavour and allow the wine to remain vibrant and to express itself fully. Old vines are not necessarily fruit forward but often bring tremendous layers and complexity to the palate.