Lycaon Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Shellfish, Spicy food, Lean fish, Mild and soft cheese

Jeremy and Emma Borg lead the small but determined Painted Wolf Wines pack. Each pack member is as unique as each African wild dog, contributing completely different talents, strengths and abilities. We strive to make a tangible and sustainable difference to the conservation of Painted Wolves (African wild dogs), other rare and endangered animals and the wild spaces in Southern Africa in which they live. We produce high quality wines with a distinctive South African feel. To that end our emphasis is on Chenin Blanc and Pinotage – the two benchmark South African grape varieties. We also work with other varieties, especially Shiraz and other Rhône grapes.

These grapes were harvested from two adjacent blocks of unirrigated 44 year old vines in the “horse shoe” just above the town of Wellington. The vines grow in Tukulu soil, a well - drained decomposed granite soil, yellow brown in colour. The vineyard is a certified heritage vineyard under South Africa’s Old Vine Project, designed to preserve the surviving old vineyards of South Africa.

The fruit was harvested between 23 and 24 balling, whole-bunch pressed and settled before being fermented in barrel and tank with natural wild yeast. The press was very gentle, yielding only around 550 litres of juice per tonne for optimum quality. The wine was matured in both French oak barrels and tank, with one new tight grain 500 litre barrel and two seasoned barrels, plus 700 litres of tank fermented wine. Fermentation was very slow helping build a beautiful texture for the wine.