Chenin Blanc 750ML

Brand	Unbranded
Manufacturer	Nieuwe Haarlem

The article discusses the history of the Chenin Blanc grape and the wine made from it. The wine was produced in 2021 and was sourced from the Paarl vineyards which are planted in decomposed granite soils and are drip irrigated. The grapes were hand-harvested very early in the morning, between mid-to-end February, allowing the grapes to retain their natural flavour. Only free-run juice was used, fermented in 50% stainless steel and 50% in older French oak barrels for 6 months prior to blending and bottling. The wine has a nose of white pear, melon and apricot layered with mineral notes, and has an interesting viscosity that coats the palate. The well-integrated oak provides spicy complexity and depth of flavour. The wine is best served with Asian-style seafood bouillabaisse, flavourful fish such as salmon or sole, cream-based chicken or Peking duck.

• Nieuwe Haarlem Chenin Blanc, 2021


• Grapes were sourced from Paarl vineyards which are planted in decomposed granite soils and are drip irrigated, these vineyards deliver great expressions of this variety


• These grapes were hand-harvested very early in the morning, between mid-to-end February, allowing the grapes to retain their natural flavour. Only free-run juice was used, fermented in 50% stainless steel and 50% in older French oak barrels for 6 months prior to blending and bottling


• This wine has a nose of white pear, melon and apricot layered with mineral notes, and has an interesting viscosity that coats the palate


• The well-integrated oak provides spicy complexity and depth of flavour


• Food pairing: Asian-style seafood bouillabaisse, flavourful fish such as salmon or sole, cream-based chicken or Peking duck

In 1647, the Nieuwe Haarlem part of the Dutch East India Company fleet floundered in bad weather and ran aground near Table Bay. This was the shipwreck that led to the creation of a new state in the southern part of Africa. The brave crew, lead by captain Leendert Janszen, stayed behind with him to look after the shipwrecked cargo and during this time, planted vegetables and the Cape's first vines.The crew's survival and exploration of the vicinity led to the establishment of a halfway station by Jan van Riebeeck on April 6th 1652, which ultimately led to the founding of South Africa and the first vines being planted in the Cape. Today, the Cape is still rich with vines, some of which were first planted by Janszen and his crew from the Nieuwe Haarlem.