Vintage wine released reminiscent of exciting times
Delheim wine estate has just released its Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc 2021 from Delheim’s Ou Jong (Old Youngster) vineyard – the one planted in 1986.
The latest vintage released is the first since Delheim achieved official Heritage Vineyard status.
According to the wine estate, the special seal and serial number the bottle now carries, guarantee its pedigree, but also point to that wild era connected to the making of the wine itself.
Rather than introducing commercial yeast, Delheim allows “wild” strains in the air around the winery and on the grapes to spark fermentation.
“I like spontaneous or wild fermentation with this vineyard because it is old enough to tell a story,” says Delheim cellarmaster Roelof Lotriet.
“Younger vineyards are like children, still needing direction. Older vineyards like the block we use for the Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc have lived through many winters and can tell many tales.
“For me, it’s like that relative who tells all the best stories at the campfire or dinner table,” he says.
And what stories the wine can tell, stories that echo still today. “1986 was a time of intense creativity,” says Mr Lotriet.
“Top Gun was a massive blockbuster hit and Metallica’s Master of Puppets album was released. Today, Top Gun is back at number one at the Box Office and Master of Puppets is trending again thanks to Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things.”
Also in 1986, Queen released its It’s a kind of Magic album and the first group of musicians were inducted into America’s Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame. This included Elvis Presley, James Brown, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
That was the year that the Oprah Winfrey Show debuted too and not insignificantly, was the year that Mr Lotriet was born.
“It really was and is a wild time to be alive,” he adds.
Speaking of the wine, he points out that only one block is used for the Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc. To avoid producing a one-dimensional expression, Delheim ferments the wine in different vessels, like older 500L French oak barrels and concrete, egg-shaped tanks.
He explains: “The reason for using older barrels is that I’d like to express as much Delheim Chenin blanc fruit in the wine as possible, and not French terroir.”
It is left on the lees for another “nine or so” months before the final blend is made up. A very light filtration is done prior to bottling.
“For me, this wine’s wonderful story is of Delheim and its pioneering history in the South African wine industry,” Mr Lotriet exclaims.
