Winemaker Notes
This Chenin has a nose of green and yellow citrus, stone fruit and hint of flint. The palate has a full mouthfeel, typical of the Swartland, and this is balanced by a vibrant acidity and some pithy character. The finish is fresh and minerally.
Pairs well with seafood, poultry, salads and even slightly spicy dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This chenin grows in two bush vine parcels up to 40 years old. Broad and open, it puts out clean pear flavors that seem to ripen along the length. It’s quiet and restrained, but attractive in its width. A wine worth sitting with after decanting.
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.
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.