Crafted from handpicked old bush vines, some dating back to 1979 and 1987, thriving in the decomposed granite soils of Joubertskloof and other revered Paardeberg vineyards. This Chenin Blanc is a testament to minimal intervention. In the cellar, cooled, hand-sorted grapes underwent a gentle whole-bunch press without initial sulphur. Fermentation sparked naturally in 225L and 300L barrels, followed by spontaneous malolactic conversion before the first careful sulphur addition. After resting on its gross lees, the wine was racked in late November and matured for 10 months in old oak.
The result, as Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za notes, is “detailed and expressive, with notes of pear, peach, citrus, floral perfume, herbs and a touch of flinty reduction. The palate is precise and pure, combining vivid fruit and snappy acidity with a savoury, gently bitter finish. Restrained, lean and effortlessly elegant.” Eedes highlights that an early harvest, concluding before January’s end, “appears to have only aided the wine,” awarding it an impressive 96/100.