2022 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block

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