Brookdale Estate Sixteen Field Blend 2023
A kaleidoscopic burst of lifted floral notes, fresh green apple, white pear and wet stone minerality. The juicy stone fruit flavours are sculpted by a zesty freshness through to long finish enhanced by quinine, grapefruit and a salty tang.
Situated at the foot of the Du Toitskloof Pass, this site offers altitude and granite-rich soils with clay and quartz. The clay element offers high water retention properties and releases much needed water during the warm summer months. The lowest part of the estate is at 220 metres above sea level, climbing to 330m at the highest part. The vineyards are exposed to strong winds that naturally reduce yields and offer a muchneeded cooling influence in Paarl's warm, dry climate. This wine is an interplanted field blend, made up of 16 varieties, planted as bush vines in soils rich in decomposed shale. The vineyard is manually cultivated, with a commitment to sustainable farming. Natural predators are used in place of pesticides and the vines are hand-harvested.
A celebration of the lost art of field-blend winemaking. The grapes were picked in three triages due to the variability in the ripening stages of the different varieties. The fruit was pre-cooled and whole bunch pressed before spontaneous fermentation and 100% malolactic conversion took place. The wine was fermented and aged in concrete eggs and clay amphorae and spent one year on the lees prior to bottling. It then spent a further four months in bottle prior to release.
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13% |
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Subregion | Paarl |
| Grapes | Field Blend White 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 1.3 |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Diam |
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Klein Drakenstein Mountains in Paarl, Brookdale Estate produces wines as unexpected as they are enchanting. A true Cinderella story, Brookdale was once overgrown until the Rudd family recognised the potential and acquired the 67-hectare estate in 2015. Their vision was to produce fine, world-class wines, including interesting blends crafted from varietals that are somewhat ‘unusual’ in South Africa. These Mediterranean varietals, the distinctive Paarl terroir and creative winemaking techniques come together under the visionary hand of Tim Rudd and talented young winemaker Kiara Scott. Born on the Cape Flats, Kiara graduated from Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute in Viticulture and Oenology and was selected for the prestigious CWG Protégé Programme. Consultant winemaker Duncan Savage recognised Kiara’s potential and appointed her as his assistant. Together, they created the maiden vintage of the Brookdale Chenin Blanc in 2017 which received global acclaim. Kiara officially took over the reins in 2019.
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