We wondered what inspired Spier Seaward Chenin Blanc’s name.
It all became clear as we tasted the wine.
Coming from one of the first vineyards of South Africa, this wine has a story to tell.
Spier Seaward Chenin Blanc 2021
In the Bottle
The Chenin Blanc for Seaward was sourced from the vineyards of Tygerberg Hills and the Stellenbosch area. Thanks to the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, grapes benefit from the sea breezes that slow down the ripening and help to preserve acidity. Vines are a mixture of dryland and drip irrigation-supplemented vineyards.
Grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning and pre-cooled before hand-sorting, destemming and crushing. Skin contact was limited to four hours, and the free-run juice was drained off to settle overnight before inoculation. Fermentation took place in large 300-liter and 400-liter barrels. The wine matured for 10 months in French oak barrels with 10% new and 90% older barrels.
As we read about this wine, the Seaward name started making more and more sense. But it all settled when we tasted this Chenin Blanc.
In the Glass
2021 Spier Seaward Chenin Blanc gave away its sea connection with aromas of seawater combined with fresh butter, lime, wildflowers, citrus, and a hint of dried seaweed umami notes.
On the palate, the creamy texture was balanced by refreshing acidity and flavors of ripe green apple, lemon curd, and certain saltiness.
Aftertaste
We had a few different Chenin Blancs by Spier. While we were impressed even with entry-level Chenin, the Seaward became our favorite because of its almost oil-like texture, saltiness, and finessed aromatics.
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