Experience the thrill of discovery with the Lourens Family Proefkonyn Verdelho 2024, a wine that lives up to its name, meaning “Guinea Pig.” Winemaker Franco Lourens uses this experimental label as his personal playground to explore unique varieties and artisanal processes. He sources the grapes from the high-quality vineyards of the Cavalli estate in the prestigious Stellenbosch region. This 2024 vintage captures the incredible energy of a season defined by healthy grapes and fantastic natural analysis. You will encounter an enticing nose filled with aromas of peach, apricot, and pineapple with earthy undertones. On the palate, the wine delivers a generous, weighty texture balanced by a zippy and “electric” freshness. Every sip reveals layers of pear and subtle stone fruit that lead to a distinctively salty, savoury finish. Franco bottles this Verdelho unfined with only coarse filtration to preserve its natural phenolic edge and purity.
The Lourens Family Proefkonyn Verdelho 2024 earns impressive accolades for its sappy, focused, and bone-dry character. Master of Wine Tim Atkin awarded this vintage 93 points, praising its “sappy and focused” profile in his 2025 South Africa Special Report. Leading critic Christian Eedes gave it a 91-point score, noting the wine’s generous fruit density and well-integrated acidity. This Verdelho stands out for its resilience to heat, maintaining a remarkably low pH even at full ripeness. You should serve this white slightly chilled to highlight its vibrant, clean energy and mouthwatering finish. It pairs beautifully with rich seafood dishes, pork, or salty cheeses like feta and goats’ cheese. This 750ml bottle offers a rare and limited-batch taste of one of South Africa’s most exciting winemaking experiments. Trust Franco’s quality-obsessed approach to deliver a white wine that truly “holds its nerve” in every glass.