Winery Details
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Tierhoek Wines
- Tierhoek Farm Piekenierskloof Western Cape South Africa
- info@tierhoek.com
- +27825367132
About the Winery
ONE OF THE OLDEST SURVIVING SANDVELD FARMS ON THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA Tierhoek’s cellar and vineyards are nestled in a mountain bowl amongst the peaks of the Piekenierskloof, 760m above sea level, where the vines remain dormant during the cold winters.Tierhoek’s small volumes allow focus to be maintained on producing quality wines. The word "Tier" is a local word for leopard and " Hoek " is the corner as we are situated in a mountain bowl.
The vines come to life at the same time as the mountain flowers and are kept cool by the soft summer breezes of the Atlantic Ocean, producing wines of intense fruit flavours and minerality.
The Marais family began farming Tierhoek in 1886, and in 2001 new owners, Tony and Shelley Sandell, restored the Sandveld buildings and nurtured the neglected 44 year old Chenin and Grenache vines back to working condition.
All of this has been done hand-in-hand with the abundant nature that surrounds Tierhoek, enabling it exclusive membership of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI). No pesticides or herbicides are used in the vineyards and all winemaking is natural – nothing is removed from or added to the wines except yeast culture in some wines and minimal SO2.
Winemaker, Roger Burton, graduated from Stellenbosch University with a viticulture and oenology degree. His philosophy is “balance in the vineyards” to produce grapes of optimal ripeness and wines which clearly express their terroir .
Straw wine
About the wine
The bulk of this wine is our usual 90% Chenin Blanc, but we have complimented it by adding 10% Viognier. The grapes are picked early harvest and then air dried for 2 weeks in the partial shade under some oak trees to sweeten like raisins. The dried grapes are then naturally fermented in open bins, for a few weeks, and then they are pressed by hand in an old fashion basket press. The wine is transferred into old French barrels, where fermentation can take 1 to 6 months to complete. The result is an unctuous wine of immense, concentrated flavours of dried apricots, honey and a spicy citrus note. The sweetness is balanced by a fresh natural fruit acidity leaving a clean finish on the palate. Will age for decades.
These Chenin Blanc vines are all rooted on weathered sandstone. Irrigation is only done during drought conditions and all farming methods are organic.
| Export | EU-SADC EPA |
|---|---|
| Export Volume | 170 x 6 |
| FOB | $12 |
| Food Pairing | Cheeses, Chocolate desserts, Dessert, Enjoyed on its own, Fruity, Hard Cheese, Seared foie grass |
| Price Band | D ($11.00 – $14.99) |
| Region | Citrusdal Mountain, Western Cape |
| Segment best suited for | Boutique, Off premise, On premise, Retail |
| Tasting Notes | Apricots, Honey |
| Vintage | None vintage |
| Volume | 375ml |
| White Grapes | 10 % Viognier, 90 % Chenin Blanc |
Winemaking process
We were excited to add the Viognier this year, it really elevated the wine, adding an aromatic, spicy element. Both the Chenin and Viognier were picked around 23 Balling (the same ripeness as our table wines) to preserve the primary fruit character and acidity, and then dried till about 40 Balling for about 2 weeks Once it is dried it is preseed and transferred to barrel to ferment for about 2 months.. We use the young wines as the fresh and fruitful portion of this wine, but then we blend in a portion of older wine dating back to 2007 from our solera system, to add some complexity and richness to the wine.
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Alcohol: |
11.59 % |
|
Total Acidity: |
8,55 |
|
Residual Sugar: |
256 |
|
pH: |
3.70 |
|
Free SO₂: |
9 ppm |
|
Total SO₂: |
100 ppm |
Cellaring
Will age for decades