Bakenkop Blanc Fume 2020 is produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes harvested from a vineyard planted in 2004 on the south-facing slopes of Bakenkop Hill - on Welbeloond Farm. The vineyard has ancient, stony, shale soils and sits 160m above sea-level and 9km east of the Atlantic Ocean. Picked by hand into crates early in the morning, 90% of the grapes were whole-bunch pressed followed by overnight settling before being racked into two old and one new 300-litre, French oak barrels. 100% wild ferments from ambient yeast. 10% of the grapes were destemmed and fermented on the skins for 8 days. The wine went through 100% malolactic fermentation. Matured in the barrels on the fine lees for 9 months before bottling. Bottled at 12.5%. (Bottle size 750ml)

Nose: The wine has a very aromatic nose of stone fruit, blackcurrant and quince which follows onto the palate.

Palate: The creaminess on the mid-palate is balanced by a refreshing yet soft acidity that gives good structure in the mouth. There is a smoky, mineral character with some herbal complexity and dried nettle, to compliment the stone fruits of peach and nectarine.

Finish: The wine has a long, dry, pleasing saline finish.

Mellish Family Vineyards is a boutique wine producer, making terroir driven wines from vineyards on the family farm, Welbeloond, situated twenty kilometres north of Cape Town, in the hills of Durbanville The farm has historical significance as it was originally used as an outpost by Jan Van Riebeeck in the late 1600s. The family lived on and leased the land from 1918 and eventually purchased the farm in 1934. Historically farming grain, livestock and dairy - 35 hectares of vineyard were planted between 2000 and 2004. Mellish Family Vineyards aims to bottle wines that are refreshingly balanced – with a complexity and depth of flavour that expresses the ancient, stony, shale soils and the Mediterranean-like, coastal climate of their vineyards.

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