The Vinoneers is a platform created by a winemaker and a designer to express their creative indulgence without restraint. Not lead by sales volumes, market share or consumer insight, this is a pure expression of the love for fine wine and art.
By creating only the finest small batch, hand-crafted wines and engagingly tactile packaging with an unique artistic feel, the synergy between wine and art is tangible.
The Vinoneers is a unique partnership between Etienne Louw (Altydgedacht Estate) and Brenden Schwartz (Bravo Design). Brenden and Etienne have worked together since 2010, and the two have become good friends through the years.
The name “Vinoneers” harks back to Etienne’s previous life as a chemical engineer, while the name of the wine shadows the famous Greek play “ Orpheus and the Underworld” – which encourages us to never look back!
The Vinoneers Orpheus and the Raven Wooded Chenin Blanc 2015 is the culmination of three years worth of fermenting ideas between the two – each bringing his unique skill set to the sorting table!
Amongst the unique features of the Vinoneer Chenin Blanc, is the grapes from which it is made. The vines were planted in 1973, making it two years older than the Vinoneers! The 42 year old bush vines are located across the T-junction between Tygerberg Valley and Race Course Roads in Durbanville, Cape Town. The grapes were hand-picked on the 25th of February 2014 in the cool morning hours at 22.8º Balling. After harvest, the grapes were cooled overnight to 10 ºC prior to vinification. The grapes were subsequently sorted, de-stemmed, crushed, pressed and allowed to cold settle over two days. The juice was pumped to 2 barrels and fermented under Etienne’s watchful eyes outside his office. The new 500 litre French oak barrel was affectionately christened “Makulu Makulu” by Etienne’s cellar staff!
The wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel, after which it was left on the lees without sulphur addition for 12 months. Matured for a total of 17 months in French oak [ 1 x 500 litre ( 2015 barrel ), 1 x 300 litre ( 2010 barrel )]. The wine was bottled by a small scale bottling unit operated by Amata on 22 July 2015.
Wijnhuis: Altydgedacht
Wijnstreek: Durbanville
Druivensoorten: Chenin Blanc
Jaartal: 2020
Alcohol: 14%
Soort: Witte wijn
Serveertemperatuur: 9°-11°
