Luddite - Chenin Blanc - Western Cape, ZA - 2023

Notes from the Winery/Importer

This year we experimented with a bit more time on skins. This has given the midpalate a bit more texture and palate weight even though the alcohol has remained low. Normal house style keeping it simple; crush, destalk and allowing it to naturally ferment in open fermenters. Once fermentation starts, we punch down twice a day to keep the ferment homogenous. After fermentation, we seal the bins and allow post maceration for as long as we can sleep comfortably without wondering what’s happening inside the bins. This vintage took 25 days on skins before our nerves broke. We press directly to barrel with as much sediment as possible. This allows the wine to fill out and add texture with our regular batonnaging. This year is a bit quirkier than most. Darker colour due to the extended skin contact and just a hint of flor to add more to an already multidimensional wine. The palate is bold and weighty, even though the wine’s alcohol is below 12% like previous years. Unfortunately, 2023 was rather dry and so we have less wine this year. Our Chenin still remains a very thought-provoking wine.

Grapes were sourced from Luddite vineyard sites:
House Block harvested on 26th January 2023
Dog Block harvested on 31st January 2023
Average analysis of fruit at harvest
20.0° Balling, TA – 6.2 g/l, pH – 3.45
Tasting Notes as at 22nd February 2024:
Appearance: Rich, golden yellow in colour due to extended skin contact.
Nose: Green melons, spice, savoury white fruit with a hint of honey.
Palate: Hint of savoury flor on entry with peaches, spice and telltale Luddite Chenin saltiness on the finish. Good acidity balances the palate from start to finish. Very thought-provoking.

Analysis of the wine
Alcohol: 11.8% pH: 3.6 TA: 5.7 g/l RS: 1.4 g/l

1 570 bottles of this vintage were produced.

Notes on the Producer

Niels and Penny met at a friend’s 21st birthday party in 1985, where they discovered that they were both going to be attending Elsenburg Agricultural College in the new year. They became close friends at college, and romance blossomed late one night cramming for exams. He passed, she failed, but they’re still together. On finishing their studies, a desire to make wine but with no access to vineyards (these were the dark days in South Africa), Penny and Niels left the country in 1989. 1995 saw the Verburg family return to South Africa from Europe. Niels had worked as a flying winemaker in France, Chili, New Zealand and Australia, and even managed to make wine in Greece. A longing to work on a small farm led them to Bot River. After 8 vintages at Beaumont, they moved up the hill to a 16 hectare patch of land. Thirty years later, with three kids and six dogs, the Verburgs are happy on their hill, and Luddite wines has evolved into an established and respected brand.