Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Chenin
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Chenin Blanc comes from the two old blocks planted in 1974 and 1976. It is whole bunch pressed, but unlike the Sauvignon Blanc, it is not settled and matured in foudres and used 300-liter oak, where it stayed for ten months on the lees. It has a very delineated bouquet with Granny Smith scents and light sea spray aromas, a very Zen-like Chenin that expresses the granitic terroir. The well-balanced palate has a slight viscosity on the entry, a little richer than previous vintages but without compromising tension, with hints of peach skin and yellow plum towards the finish. Excellent.
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James Suckling
This is showing inviting notes of mango stones, apricots and lemon curd. Touch of hazelnut and wet stone. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and deliciously creamy. Nicely stony at the end. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.
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.