Planted in 1971, Riverside Chenin Blanc is the oldest vineyard on the farm. Soils on the banks of the upper Blaauwklippen River, in which the vines are planted, vary from sandy alluvial plains with river stone to red clay loam as one moves away from the river. This patchy old vineyard, at an elevation of 250m, delivers very low yields of incredible quality fruit year in and year out. Like the old vines from which it is made, this wine has great complexity and character with quiet intensity.
All grapes used in producing this wine are sourced from the Riverside vineyard on Keermont. Small parcels of grapes are selected according to optimal ripeness and harvested by hand. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. This wine was fermented and then spent a further 12 months maturing on the lees in seasoned French oak barrels (225L and 500L). Bottling was done by hand without filtration. Only 2855 bottles and 52 magnums of this wine were produced.