Gabriëlskloof Elodie

The Landscape Series is a range of five wines that show the best of Gabriëlskloof’s vineyards and wine­making and aims to be a sincere representation of the elements that make them unique. We wanted the la­bels to reflect this approach and commissioned Niël Jonker – well-known for his landscape panels painted on location – to capture the spirit of our Overberg landscapes.

South Africa is the only New World country that has significant plantings of old-vine Chenin Blanc. With Elodie, we want to show what we can do with this national treasure.

Vineyards:

The two vineyards used to make this wine are dryland bush vine and have never been irrigated. These vineyards are very labour intensive to farm, and as a result of the arid conditions, yield little fruit (between one and three tons per hectare).

Contermanskloof vineyard, Durbanville (1975)

Nuwedam vineyard, Swartland (1974)

Vinification:

The grapes were whole bunch pressed with no additions. After an overnight rough settling in tank, the juice was transferred to 400 and 500L old French oak barrels, where it fermented wild and remained until blending before bottling.

Tasting note:

Light, pale golden straw hue. Clear and brilliant. On the nose, subtle flavours of citrus pith and white floral notes settle into layers of almond, dried pineapple, and lanolin. The palate is restrained, with a viscous, waxy mouthfeel and great natural acidity and freshness typical of old vine Chenin.