O Produtor, tasting note published in March 8th 2023
Boysenberry and dark cherry dominate an inviting nose, with gentle scents of violets and rose petals
and intriguing whiffs of exotic spice. The brambly black and red fruits of the nose follow through with
flavours of ripe plums, black currant, dried cranberries and blueberries. Slight hints of cured meat and
espresso add complexity to the round, silky mid-palate. The mouth-coating texture of dark milk
chocolate is balanced with fine, powdery tannins and fresh yet integrated acidity. The wine is
medium-bodied, lithe, and elegant with licorice and subtle hints of crushed coriander and black
cardamom lingering on a smooth, soft finish.
The Chocolate Block 2022 marks our 21st vintage of this iconic wine and the first to fully utilise our
new OXOline system within the renovated Maturation Cellar at Helderberg Winery. Cold winter conditions resulted in a slow start to the 2022 growing season with budding occurring 2-3 weeks later than average. This delay continued throughout with late veraison. Frequent rain showers ensured lush canopy growth which protected clusters from sporadic sunburn during the accelerated, hot December conditions and the heat peaks experienced during January. This vintage showed lower-than-average yields with fruit that was perfumed, aromatic and elegant with balanced tannins.
“We made an important decision in 2015 to shift from general appellation Western Cape to Wine of
Origin Swartland. The significance is that we can directly manage the majority of the fruit being
vinified for The Chocolate Block and farm the vineyards using our sustainable approach to
viticulture. After more than a decade of working with these Swartland vineyards, our Porseleinberg
and Goldmine farms represent about 60% of the fruit in the final blend. Notably, we can see that the
wines have changed stylistically. With our acquisition of Partnership Vineyard in ’22, we have
further expanded our footprint in the Swartland and our goal of eventually filling our fermenters
with our own, sustainably farmed vineyards. It’s about the purity of fruit, elegance and structure.”
– Marc Kent
Grapes are whole-berry fermented in a combination of concrete and stainless steel fermenters with no additions being made. After spontaneous fermentation, we transferred the juice to seasoned (95%) 225L French barrique and 5% (on Cabernet Sauvignon) in new 225L French Barrique. The élevage ranged between 12-14 months, depending on variety.
Allergens information
Contains sulphites.
SKU: 106950
Boekenhoutskloof
A BRIEF HISTORY
Boekenhoutskloof was founded in 1776. Situated in the far corner of the beautiful Franschhoek valley, the farm’s name means ‘Boekenhout’s ravine’ (pronounced Book-n-Howed). Boekenhout is an indigenous Cape beech tree much favoured for furniture making. In 1993, the farm and estate were purchased and restored and a new vineyard planting programme was established which now includes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Sémillon and Viognier.
WINES
As a producer, Boekenhoutskloof is a Syrah specialist, with its premium Boekenhoutskloof range selling out on the release of each vintage, and The Chocolate Block – a Syrah-based blend – is probably the most successful new wine offering to come out of South Africa in the modern era.
The Wolftrap brand of Rhone-style blended wines was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the early settlers who built what is now a monument to their adventurous spirit. The Porcupine Ridge range of delicious, everyday wines is a favourite on tables around the world – offering great value for money and superb drinking.
