"6Chen"

Meinert Wines produces a small and personalised range of wines in limited quantities from both the hillside Devon Crest vineyard just outside Stellenbosch as well as a number of vineyard sites across the Cape Winelands. One such wine is our 6Chen, a Chenin Blanc-based blend (92%) with a dollop of Muscat d’Alexandrie, or Hanepoot.

Grapes for this blend are sourced from old Swartland vineyards planted in 1978 (Muscat) and 1982 (Chenin) on iron-rich decomposed shale soils & is created with much thought and care to ensure uniqueness and individual character.

Alcohol 12.92 vol%
Residual sugar 1.8 g/l
Total acidity 5.6 g/l
pH 3.28

After careful selection and hand harvesting, our fruit was transported by means of refrigerated truck to our winery and further cooled overnight in our cold room to 5°C. Whole bunch pressing, and in general, a more oxidative style of winemaking allows for the unique nuances of the vineyard to manifest in your glass.

Natural fermentation with wild yeasts in a combination of concrete tanks, seasoned oak barrels and untoasted oak barrels ensure a multi-layered wine beaming with minerality and complexity. Lees contact for a period of six months after fermentation adds texture and richness on the midpalate and finish.

This wine’s story is of belonging, a ‘sense of place’ as it where, not only because our winemaker Brendan Butler is living his passion to craft ‘6 star’ wines-earning his rightful place in an elite group of premium wine artisans, but also because this beautiful wine reflects its sense of place with a smorgasbord of delicate flavours that truly indulge the senses.

In crafting the 6CHEN we aspire to create an ethereal expression of Chenin by marrying the stalwart of the Swartland, Chenin Blanc, with another important yet largely unknown – Muscat d’Alexandrie, most common in the Hanepoot guise. Muscat adds perfume and delicate opulence to a broad and rich Chenin-base, and with careful cellaring, this wine will continue to evolve and reward.