Les Frites 2024 Chenin Blanc

Les Frites is made from fruit grown by Margaret River royalty, Settlers Ridge Organic Vineyards. Established in 1994, it is the first certified organic vineyard in the South-West. The Chenin Blanc vines are over 30 years old and stand like an army of graceful old ladies, swathing the hillside in front of the main house. Beyond their wiry foliage hang gorgeous bunches of high-quality Chenin grapes, brimming with freshness and acidity.

Che’s first foray into Chenin Blanc left him genuinely excited. After working with Chardonnay, the delicate queen, it was time to experiment with the more muscular, chiseled king of the neutral whites. With a love for lightly skin-contact expressions of this variety, Che left one third of the fruit to macerate on skins for three days, foot-stomping daily to extract tannin and flavour from those beautiful skins. The remaining fruit was pressed directly to seasoned oak barrels for fermentation.

Once everything was barreled down, certain direct-press lots were selected for barrel stirring to build mid-palate weight, while others were left untouched to preserve freshness and linearity. The resulting blend of these three components became Les Frites, named for its golden hue and very moreish nature.