Kama Chenin Blanc 2024

The Kama Chenin Blanc cuvée draws its uniqueness from South Africa's Western Cape, particularly from decomposed granite soils in the Swartland and Franschhoek regions, where goblet-trained vines dating back to 1998 yield particularly concentrated and expressive fruit. The deep, well-drained soils promote naturally high acidity and balanced ripeness, offering the Chenin Blanc grapes aromatic purity and beautiful lively tension. "Kama," synonymous with the pleasure of the senses, or one of the four ultimate goals of life for Hindus, was created in honor of Sabrina, muse and wife of the estate's winemaker.

The vinification of this wine begins with morning hand-harvesting, ensuring that fresh, intact bunches are brought to the winery, essential for preserving the fruit's expression. Once pressed, the juices ferment slowly in concrete eggs, an aging technique that promotes gentle micro-oxygenation, preserving aromatic purity while adding texture and complexity to the wine. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 9 months on fine lees in these same eggs, which enriches the body and refines the structure without the use of wood.

This wine reveals notes of baked apple, pear, zesty citrus, quince, beeswax, dried flowers, and a subtle saline minerality. On the palate, the expression is balanced and vibrant, driven by a lively acidity that structures the whole while leaving an impression of freshness. The texture is round and silky, with a textural feel and a saline finish.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their 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 have 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 can also be 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, strongly 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 Cinsaut 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.