The Tin Mine White

Delicious with grilled fish, crayfish, or poultry dishes.

Zevenwacht, situated on the beautiful Stellenbosch Wine Route, with panoramic views of Table Mountain, Table Bay and False Bay. The name "Zevenwacht", derived from the Dutch "Seven Expectations" is a modern wine farm with a 300 year history. A family owned and managed Estate, the current owners, Harold and Denise Johnson purchased the farm in 1992, and have committed themselves to a programme of development to realise Zevenwacht’s rich potential beyond wine production. The estate has a strong commitment to historic and cultural preservation, as well as the active socio-economic upliftment of its workers and their families. Two prime farming locations supply the Zevenwacht winery. The home vineyards on Zevenwacht’s 450 hectare maritime property supplies the bulk of the wine that fills the 1000 ton cellar. The farm Zevenrivieren, at the crest of the “Helshoogte” (Heights of Hell) Pass, overlooking Stellenbosch, provides equally outstanding grapes and adds fascinating variety to the collection. Our winemaking philosophy is simple - quality begins in the vineyard. Our winemaker, Hagen Viljoen, has been entrusted with enticing the very best from these unique properties. Currently our Zevenwacht range of wines includes Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The slopes of Zevenwacht not only produce wines, but also mark the site of one of the Cape's most remarkable Commercial enterprises - The Tin Mines which operated here in the years leading up to the First World War. The shafts and machinery from that venture still remain on Zevenwacht bearing eloquent testimony to this impressive undertaking. A white blend and a red blend are made from top quality grapes exclusively from vineyards on these sites. As a result a specific sense of place finds expression in the complexity and richness of these two Tin Mine blends. Zevenwacht is a member of the Biodiversity & Wine initiative (BWI), a partnership between the South African wine industry and Nature Conservation, aimed at alleviating the impact of agricultural activities on the environment. Primary goals are the protection of the ecology, the protection of biodiversity, including the preservation and rehabilitation of indigenous vegetation, the extermination of aliens and the responsible use of land. To this extent we conserve some 80 hectares of fynbos to the Renosterveld Bottelary Hills Conservancy, while 100 hectares is responsibly used for grape growing. With its picturesque setting, historic Manor House and rural atmosphere, Zevenwacht exemplifies the abundant delights which await visitors to the Estate.

The vineyards for the Tin Mine White mostly come from our Zevenwacht property on the Polkadraai Hills ward of Stellenbosch. The soils are decomposed granite with varying amount of structure and clay in the subsoils and the slopes are South to South West facing with altitudes between 200-350m. A small portion of Chenin comes from our Banghoek property.

The wine spent 8 months ageing on the lees for a richer mouth feel and underwent partial malolactic fermentation.

The grapes were harvested at 22 – 23,5 ºBrix depending on varietal and site. After whole bunch pressing, the juice was settled and racked to a combination of 500l French Oak barrels with 15% in Concrete Eggs for fermentation.