The Agonist Chenin Blanc

Stone fruit expressions; rich with honey and light, toasty vanillin characters. Some gentle almond and cashew notes balanced with soft acid.

Pear, honey, apricot, and quince with vanilla and white pepper spice.

Black Bean, Avocado and Mango Tacos or Prawn, scallop and mango salsa salad

The Chenin Blanc comes from Temple Bruer’s Langhorne Creek Vineyard, our very first vineyard, which has fertile soils that are predominantly deep, alluvial, silty loams over limestone gravel with self-mulching clays – not too dissimilar of those in the Loire! Chenin Blanc was planted in 1996. Each year it delivers beautiful straw green coloured bunches packed with acidity, pear and quince and honey flavours. Chenin Blanc is suited to Langhorne Creek. This gorgeous grape can withstand warm summer days while its acid and complex flavours and aromas are protected by the rapidly cooling nights thanks to the effects of Lake Alexandrina (‘The Lake Doctor’).

Chenin was hand-picked in early April 2017. It was lightly whole bunch pressed then cold settled. The wine was racked and fermentation lasted 2 weeks. After malolactic fermentation the wine had some barrel maturation in large format French oak (475L) with lees stirring to soften the natural high acidity and provide a roundness to the acid giving a well-balanced length to the palate.

The growing season throughout South Australia was earmarked with significant rainfall events in late September and December 2016, January, and February 2017. Warmer weather followed late February and March allowing for the perfect ripening for later varieties. Our Langhorne Creek Estate vineyard received late season rainfall with the vineyard being flooded in late September 2016 and again just after Christmas 2016. Due to the cooler than average winter temperatures and rainfall the whole growing season was extended with our last fruit being harvested in late April, the latest ever pick of Cabernet in Temple Bruer history! Good vineyard management and warm weather from February through to April allowed the late fruit to be harvested.