Purple Heron

purple-heron

There’s a new wine list at the Balls Brothers wine bars.  I spotted a South African chenin blanc I’ve not met before.  It is Purple Heron, and comes with one on the label.  I looked up to see how it is made:

“Juice is separated from the skins as soon as possible after crushing and the clear juice is racked after cold settling overnight. Yeast inoculation occurs just prior to cold fermentation at 12 °C when the wine is left on gross lees. Fine lees are stirred up frequently whilst in the tank. The wine is left on the lees until the blend is prepared for bottling. No oak is used.”

It is a beautifully structured wine.  The label suggests “rich tropical aromas of pear, guava and ripe yellow stone fruits,” but I beg to differ.  To me it tasted strongly of gooseberries up front, with some citrus in the finish.  It is 13.5 percent, and very fresh and fruity.