Blanc de Mer 2024

Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, near the coastal town of Hermanus in Walker Bay, the Bouchard Finlayson estate benefits from a cool maritime climate, tempered by the South Atlantic Ocean. The vines for the Blanc de Mer cuvée are planted in well-drained clay-schist and granite soils, which promote slow ripening and preserve the natural acidity of the grapes. The oceanic influence, cool breezes, and morning mists give this terroir a particularly elegant expression, marked by tension, aromatic purity, and a pronounced minerality.

The grapes are harvested by hand, plot by plot, to preserve the aromatic integrity of each varietal. After gentle pressing, the musts are cold-settled and then fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to retain the purity of the fruit and the maritime freshness characteristic of the estate's style. Aging continues on fine lees, still in stainless steel tanks, with periodic stirring, before the final blending and bottling, which aims to preserve tension, complexity, and balance.

This wine reveals notes of ripe citrus , stone fruit , and green apple , complemented by floral touches of white flowers and a subtle saline and mineral dimension. On the palate, the texture is both ample and precise, carried by a lively acidity that lengthens the tasting, while delicate spicy nuances and a fine iodine sensation prolong a long, fresh, and harmonious finish.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.