Chenin Blanc Blewitt Springs
2021
Hand-picked, half whole bunch-pressed to used French puncheons for fermentation, the balance crushed into concrete tulip-shaped vessels before maturation in used French puncheons. The blend of components give rise to textured, layered citrus peel flavours sewn together by a shaft of glistening acidity
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Real chenin with sliced peaches, light fur and earth. Flowers, too. Medium body, dry and bright. Lively at the finish. Drink now.
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I hope the producers in the east don’t take this the wrong way, but as a West Aussie, it is a heartening and thrilling thing to witness such beauty in Chenin Blanc here from McLaren Vale. The area is so suited, it surprises me there aren’t more great ones made. The only other that comes to mind is Aphelion. Two-thirds of the grapes from the newly acquired vineyard in Blewitt Springs were crushed and fermented in concrete fermenters, the other third was whole-bunch pressed and fermented in old 500-liter puncheons. Took a long time for it to chart its course over the year. The 2021 Mmad Chenin Blanc matured on lees, left cold and untouched for a quite a long time. In the mouth, this has soapstone, green apple and cheesecloth. The acidity is briny and fine, with a lanolin character that is woven throughout the palate. It has fabulous texture in the mouth – this is wonderfully typically Australian, distinctly different from South Africa and Loire. It has brilliant intensity of flavour, purity, concentration, poise and shape. Very good. There are notes of white peach, pear, waxy grip. Awesome. It will be better in time, too.
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