Painted Wolf ‘Black Pack’ Old Vines Chenin Blanc

In 2006, Emma and Jeremy Borg decided to create a wine company with two main aims – to raise money to build a more hopeful future for endangered African wild dogs and to allow Jeremy to pursue his ambitions as a winemaker, which he has done with great determination and flair.

The company has a number of strong collaborations, with friends from all walks of life, and this has combined to create wines from a small number of growers in some of South Africa’s prime sites, including Paarl, Swartland and Stellenbosch. Jeremy has selected low-yielding areas which are mostly unirrigated and farmed organically or with minimal organic outputs. There are three distinctive ranges that include some rather interesting and unusual wines that are deliberately a bit off the beaten track and over the years around R3.5 million has been raised and a further considerable sum for social upliftment projects.

This Chenin Blanc is from the premium ‘Black Pack’ range (with black label!). It is an rich, old vine Chenin Blanc sourced from the three dry land bush vine
vineyards in the Voor Paardeberg and the Swartland and vines aged between 20 and 35 years old. The grapes whole bunch pressed and settled before being fermented in barrel with natural wild yeast. Jeremy uses 500- litre French oak barrels, with around 25% being new super tight grain oak and the balance older barrels. Fermentation is slow and un-rushed based on the unique circumstances of each wine and vat, rather than a formula or textbook.

The result is an elegant wine, with aromas of ripe peach, citrus, lanolin and vanilla. There is a creamy mouth coating texture, evident wood aromas and an
elegant long finish with just the right amount of acid to keep it fresh and vibrant. A lovely wine.