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Craven, Karibib Vineyard Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2023

Regular price $33.95 Sale price $36.00
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Overview of the Wine
Our story begins back in 2007 while we were both 'dragging hose' in Sonoma, California, for the harvest season. A chance meeting at the Flamingo Hotel, between an Aussie and a South African, has eventually turned into Craven Wines.

After both having taken to the text books at our respective universities, we decided to hit the road, see lots of things, work in lots of places and try and learn as much as possible from this massive wine world. 

Since meeting we have both been on a journey to discover how we could create something special that resonates with our beliefs and our pure love of wine. Luckily enough, we had very similar ideas. So back in 2011 we moved to Stellenbosch, South Africa, a place we both have an affinity for. Stellenbosch has such an amazing array of sites and terroir, and this landscape is perfect for what we want to do. Which is to make site-specific, honest wines.

In terms of 'winemaking' we like to keep things as simple as possible. To try and achieve the wines we want to make, we feel the best methods are being hands off, while being very hands on. In other words, we pay serious attention to the wine but we do not manipulate the wine. We believe the best way to express site and fruit is to show just that. 

We do not use cultured yeasts, enzymes, fining agents, etc. throughout the winemaking process.

We only use older oak and try our best to find larger format barrels. We also work with concrete fermenters with certain wines, as we feel this allows the more delicate varieties to maintain their purity.

We allow our wines to stabilise naturally, if they so want to. Essentially, a small amount of SO2 is the only thing added to our wines.

Grape / Blend
Chenin Blanc

Origin
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Chenin blanc is a variety that we have always wanted to work with, but were waiting for the right vineyard to come along. Towards the end of 2015, we came across a beautiful site up on the Polkadraai Hills. This faux- bushvine vineyard had been farmed for sweet wine production, and the farmer was happy that a few us were excited to make some dry wine out of it! A little bit of TLC and we had a special block on our hands. We whole-bunch press this wine to a concrete tank, where it is left to ferment naturally. We let the wine complete malolactic fermentation and stabilise itself, and the wine is then left on the lees for around 4 months before its first racking. It spends a total of 9 months in concrete before bottling.


Product size: 750ml

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