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Indaba Chenin Blanc

by Indaba
£12.24

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Indaba Chenin Blanc is made from South Africa’s most widely planted variety and it is the Cape’s signature white grape. Indaba's fresh, easy-drinking version offers vibrant flavours of honeyed pear, golden delicious apple and luscious tropical fruit. Lively peppery notes and an underlying mineral character shine through on the finish. Ideal with or without food.

  • Country: South Africa
  • Region: Coastal Region
  • Subregion: Stellenbosch, Paarl & Swartland
  • Vintage: 2018
  • Colour: White
  • Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Bottle Size: 75cl
  • Closure: Screwcap
  • Style: Bright and honeyed
  • Drink With: Cheese, salads, fish and seafood

Bruwer Raats who makes this wine is an absolute genius with Chenin Blanc. Only about 5% of the wine is matured in oak, a touch that gives a little bit of width on the palate without interfering with the fine, pure fruit flavours.

Indaba Chenin Blanc grapes were sourced from select vineyard sites in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Swartland, characterised by soils of Table Mountain sandstone, decomposed Dolomite granite and shale. More than half of the vines are low-yielding dry farmed bush vines, with an average age of 20+ years.

The grapes were handpicked in the cool early morning hours, de-stemmed and lightly crushed. The juice was then cold fermented in stainless steel tanks over a period of 2-3 weeks. The Indaba Chenin Blanc was aged on its lees in tank for two months. A small portion (2%) was fermented in 300 litre French oak barrels and aged on the lees for six months for enhanced richness and texture on the palate.

Why we like this wine

Chenin Blanc is a forgotten hero in terms of white wine grapes and this is a classic example of both the grape variety and the art of making terrific wines. The wine is fresh and mineral, just as it should be with flavours of green apples on the palate in abundance.

  • First class expression of the grape variety
  • A fresh and vibrant wine with bags of flavour
  • Good minerality to make it partner food superbly
  • Ideal as an aperitif too

From Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:

Pale bright yellow. Sexy aromas of honey, flowers and stone fruits show attractive peppery lift. Supple, rich and lightly saline in an easy-drinking style, this should be versatile at the dinner table. A touch of wood (2% of the wine was fermented and aged on its lees in used French oak) and 4.5g/l residual sugar give this wine good texture. 88 Points

About the grower

Leading the world in sustainability, South Africa is largely considered to be the greenest wine region on earth. Indaba wines are crafted in the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest, yet most diverse of the six plant kingdoms described by botanist Ronald Good. The look and spirit of Indaba reflects both South Africa’s position as a leader in sustainable production and the handcrafted approach found in the country’s art world.

Indaba is a Zulu word meaning "a meeting of the minds", a traditional gathering of tribal leaders for sharing ideas. Indaba was created as a celebration of the democratisation process in South Africa and it embodies the notion of coming together. Indaba is taking its long-standing commitment to education in the vineyard to the next level by kick starting the WELL Project (Winelands Education for Living and Learning) in South Africa. The Project will support childhood development by providing infrastructure, learning materials and teacher training at schools established for wineland workers' children.

Indaba sales also provide financial assistance to the Pinotage Youth Development Academy, a program that assists motivated but currently unemployed South African young adults by providing a combination of technical and personal life skills, supported by work opportunities on farms.

Established by Cape Classics, a portion of the proceeds from the Indaba wine brand’s global sales support the newly-created Indaba Education Fund (IEF). Formerly known as the Indaba Scholarship, Indaba has provided many bursaries for students to pursue wine-industry-related graduate and post-graduate studies since 1998. Via IEF, Indaba is further boosting its commitment to education by shifting its focus to the crucial area of early childhood development (ECD). The Indaba Education Fund’s mission will be to provide teacher training, infrastructure and learning materials all based on a Montessori approach, at schools established for wine farm workers’ children in the Cape Winelands. This training is coordinated in the Winelands through the Stellenbosch-based Sustainability Institute and the Newberry House School. IEF aims to implement positive changes in society by starting at the beginning – identifying and fostering untapped potential in children at an early, receptive and influential age in hopes of encouraging brighter futures.

In order to preserve the precious nature of the area, Indaba takes careful measures to ensure that conservation and sustainability remain top priorities during the production of its wines. Indaba wines are Integrity and Sustainability Certified and every bottle has a sustainability seal displayed on its capsule. Certified by the Wine and Spirit Board of South Africa, this seal is a guarantee of the wine’s origin, vintage and variety as stated on the wine label. It is also a guarantee that the wine complies with IPW criteria – Integrated Production of Wine, a voluntary environmental protection program established by the South African wine industry. The seal verifies that your bottle of Indaba was crafted under strict guidelines requiring eco-friendly wine production and sustainable agricultural, manufacturing and packaging practices.

Indaba wines are crafted by winemaker Bruwer Raats, who has been with the estate since 2008. Bruwer is also proprietor and winemaker of internationally acclaimed Raats Family Wines in South Africa. He brings extensive knowledge and a personal devotion to Indaba, aiming to create handcrafted wines that are fresh, juicy and approachable.

Bruwer oversees the sourcing of grapes and works closely with the various growers (most of them under long-term contract with Indaba) to impact viticulture decisions and to drive the ultimate style of the wines. All grapes are handpicked with meticulous attention to detail. The result is a range of wines that are truly distinctive representations of the soil in which they are grown, remaining food friendly and offering something for every palate. Consistently garnering “Best Value” and “Best Buy” accolades, Indaba Wines deliver character and structure well beyond their price.

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