Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Reserve Chenin Blanc, which is matured in 25% new oak, has a crisp, reserved, stone rather than fruit-driven bouquet with a brush of jasmine and honeysuckle. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, very smooth and lightly honeyed, building to a focused and satisfying finish - orange zest, dried apricot and shaved ginger all making an entrance and partying likes it's "1999" (or in this case, 2014). This is a superb Chenin Blanc, one of the finest that the Cape produced in 2014.
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a lovely vibrancy to the nose of this wine, as initial aromas of green melon and lime peel are laced with attractive herbal hits of fynbos and white flowers. The medium-weight palate offers a plush yet balanced feel, with ample acidity to counter the notes of toasted red apple, honeydew and honeycomb. Spicy wood tones dance on the lingering finish. It's delicious now, but should age well through 2021.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh, with a racy edge to the citrus peel, green plum and orange blossom notes, followed by a juicy-edged finish. Shows excellent length and range.
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.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.