Waterkloof Estate has extended its lineage of elegant wines shaped by bio-dynamically farmed vineyards with the launch of the maiden Straw Wine 2009, under the acclaimed Circumstance label – made from 100% naturally sundried Chenin blanc grapes.

The Circumstance Straw Wine 2009, with its golden sun-kissed allure, stems from 22-year old vines on the low lying slopes of the Schapenberg, where strong winds churn up the vineyards with regularity, assuring small volumes and intense flavours. Staying true to the time-honoured tradition of making wine from naturally sundried grapes, which travels back many centuries, the grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and were left to dry on a ‘mattress’ of straw to reach the desired concentration levels. This process helps to concentrate the natural flavours and sugar in the grapes, after which they are then delicately pressed to extract the small quantity of sweet, concentrated juice.

“After about six weeks the berries lose moisture and the aromatic, sweet juice is concentrated to almost double the initial sugar content,” explains Waterkloof winemaker Werner Engelbrecht. As with all Waterkloof wines, Werner relied on natural wild yeast fermentation which took five months to complete and the Circumstance Straw Wine 2009 spent 30 months in oak barrels before bottling. Described by the winemaker as ‘viscous, liquid sunshine’, the Circumstance Straw Wine 2009 is a lusciously sweet, yet fresh and complex wine with layered flavours of apricot, dried pear, honey and caramelised nuts. Fresh acidity helps to balance the sweetness that runs like a golden thread, ending with a persistent, dryish finish.

The Circumstance Straw Wine 2009 is exclusive to the Waterkloof Restaurant, where it styles as the ultimate wine companion for chef Grégory Czarnecki’s scrumptious Cheese Platter. For more information or to reserve your table, contact Waterkloof Restaurant on 021 858 1491 or send an email to restaurant@waterkloofwines.co.za.