Collaboration 001: McFarlane Wines Chenin Blanc & Semillon 2020

STYLE: White

COUNTRY & REGION: South Africa, Western Cape

VINTAGE: 2020

ABV: 13%

VOLUME: 75cl

THE WHAT:

A 60/40 blend of conventionally farmed Chenin Blanc and Semillon. The Chenin is selected from an old vine vineyard in the Klein Helderberg area of Stellenbosch, and the Semillon is grown in sandy soils in Franschhoek. This is barrel fermented and aged, so expect a bit of richness and roundness on the palate. A seldom seen, but exceptional blend.

THE WHO:

Alex McFarlane is one of the most exciting young winemakers in the Cape at the moment. She makes her wines out of a cellar in the Hemel-en-Aarde. These are fine wines which are focused, polished, and pretty beautiful drinking experiences. And they generally tend to punch way above their weight. Alex focuses on what she calls South Africa’s heritage varieties: grapes that showcase the rich cultural landscape of the wine trade, and that have very much shaped what we now know the Cape wine lands to look like today.

THE WHY:

Covid-19 had a devastating impact on the wine industry in South Africa in 2020. The government imposed prohibition on the sales and purchases of alcohol lasted most of the year, and many producers were left sitting on surplus wine that they were unable to sell. Alex’s 2020 release was severely hampered by these restrictions, and we couldn’t be more excited to be collaborating with her and these amazing wines for our first Wasted Wine Club bottling.

THE TUNES:

Here at Wasted Wine Club, we don’t take our wine too seriously, but we do insist on good music to accompany your glass at all times. So we’ve put together a cheeky playlist for our first collaboration. Time to get your boogie on.

LISTEN HERE