Chenin blanc 2022

Made from eight old vineyards in the Swartland, this Chenin Blanc comes from dry-farmed bush vines planted between 1968 and 1986. The granite bedrock of the Paardeberg forms its core, complemented by plots of brown shale, calcareous clays and iron-rich soils. This mosaic of terroirs and aspects creates a precise white, deeply rooted in the warm, dry landscapes of the Western Cape.

The grapes are picked in several passes to respect the ripeness of each plot, then whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation takes place naturally with native yeasts. The wine is then aged for eleven months in a mix of old, neutral French oak barrels and concrete vessels, including a square tank and an egg, before further maturation in bottle.

This wine reveals notes of yellow apple, fresh pear, white peach, quince, apricot kernel, lemon zest, citrus blossom, almond, cardamom, ginger, fennel, wet stone and chalk. The medium-bodied palate combines a slightly phenolic, silky texture with lively acidity. Straight, saline and mineral, it stretches into a fresh, delicately chalky and persistent finish.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of the French Huguenots in the 1680s, with their viticultural skills and knowledge. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, its first vineyards having been planted in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With more than 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. Most wines are made using New World winemaking techniques, yet stylistically they often have more in common with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has attracted international attention and won acclaim for its great diversity of styles. The South African wine industry is spread across the lush, rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, an abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaux 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 enjoy a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, a native cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut rarely found in any quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often brought together in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.