# Sixteen Field Blend (2022)

- **Producer:** Brookdale Estate
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chenin Blanc, Piquepoul, Verdejo, Clairette Blanche, Pinot Gris, Macabeo, Grenache, Semillon, Roussanne, Vermentino, Marsanne, Petit Manseng, Albariño, Palomino, Chardonnay, Grillo
- **Region:** Western Cape, South Africa
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** dried herbs, blossom, peach, fennel, grapefruit, lemon, honeysuckle, apricot, pear, apple, biscuit, cream, butter, pastry, cheese, orange marmalade, hazelnut, honey, dried apricot, almond

## About this wine

The Brookdale Sixteen Field Blend 2022 is a white wine from Brookdale Estate in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. It is a field blend, meaning 16 different white grape varieties are interplanted in the same vineyard block and harvested together. This approach is intended to allow the vineyard's microclimate and terroir to be fully expressed in the final wine, rather than highlighting individual varietal characteristics. Brookdale Estate, under the ownership of Tim Rudd and with winemaker Kiara Scott Farmer, focuses on sustainable farming and minimal intervention winemaking. The vineyard for this blend was planted in 2019 on decomposed shale and granite soils. The 2022 vintage was characterized by varied ripening across the interplanted varieties, leading to a multi-stage harvest. The wine is produced in limited quantities.

## Interesting facts

- 16 white grape varieties co-planted in one vineyard.
- Harvested together, not blended post-fermentation.
- Revives ancient 'field blend' winemaking.
- Aged in concrete eggs and clay amphora.

## Food pairing

The wine's lively acidity cuts through richness and fat in dishes like seafood with butter sauce or creamy goat cheese. Its complexity and subtle herbal notes complement Mediterranean and Thai flavors, while its texture can stand up to richer proteins.

## Wine making process

The Brookdale Sixteen Field Blend 2022 is produced using a field blend method, where 16 white grape varieties are interplanted and harvested together. The grapes undergo whole-bunch pressing after pre-cooling. Fermentation is spontaneous, utilizing natural yeasts, and includes 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 12 months on lees, with 40% in concrete egg and 60% in clay amphora. It then spends four months in bottle before release. The vineyard is farmed using organic and sustainable practices, with a minimal intervention approach throughout the winemaking process. The grapes are picked at four different stages to account for ripening variations.