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Lyngrove Chenin Blanc Chardonnay 2007

Chenin Blanc is a speciality of the Loire region. It produces crisp apple and lemon fruit, with extraordinary honeyed complexity in the very top wines which can be aged for years. The variety is extremely versatile, making every style of white – bone-dry to nectar-sweet, still to fully sparkling. This is thanks to its high acidity which it has in bucketloads or, as critic Jim Ainsworth wrote ”like Imelda Marcus has shoes”.

The grape has been important in the Cape for a few decades too; in the days before apartheid (after which winemaking changed dramatically) it was used largely for distillation into brandy. Since that turning point in 1994, it has shown itself worthy of much more. This delightful, crisp, fruity white comes from Lyngrove a magnificent 80-hectare estate in South Africa’s most prestigious wine region, Stellenbosch.

The portion of Chardonnay was taken from the cellar’s own vineyards, where cool coastal breezes produce an elegant style with good freshness. The larger portion of Chenin Blanc was grown in the temperate Breede River Valley in Worcester. The wine is from an excellent vintage that the official Cape wine body, WOSA, wrote up as: ”Prospects are very high for the 2007 vintage … in particular Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon will be exceptional”.

Colour – Light greenish gold.
Aroma – Fresh, lively aromas of apple, lemon and tropical guava.
Taste – Lots of ripe tropical fruit – guava again, kiwi and ,,,,,,melon – cut through by crisp green apple and lemon.

Serving suggestions
With lots of crisp apple and guava notes, this wine makes a tasty drop on its own. Serve too with chicken dishes, cold meats, pasta and tuna bake or a creamy vichyssoise. Drink by end 2009.