Winemaker Notes
Matches brilliantly with seafood especially scallops and any beautifully spicy Asian dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
This cuvée was first made in 1997 from two vineyards planted in 1974 and 1978 which are now both certified as heritage vineyards. 2021 saw nearoptimal growing and ripening conditions for Beaumont. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts in 400L oak barrels with partial malolactic fermentation before ageing for 10 months on lees. Greg Sherwood MW: A sweet-fruited bouquet, notes of peach bellinis, melon and apple. Rich and tangy with sweet/sour acidity, glycerol fruit concentration and a long and slightly honeyed melon syrup finish. Beverley Blanning MW: Acacia honey and toast nose. Smooth, confident fruit, lovely ripeness and suppleness, stylish and easily approachable. Long, rich, honeyed finish. Very accomplished. Roger Jones: Fresh nectarines, baked apple, pineapple cubes, ginger and bourbon spice. Great depth and complexity. A gentle but aromatic finish leaves you wanting more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fresh and mineral driven, the 2021 Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc is zesty with citrus-driven aromas that loft from the glass. Medium-bodied and with a tight frame, the palate reveals energetic acidity that will remain food friendly for a decade, maybe longer.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.