Discover a truly thrilling, small-batch South African white wine. Franco Lourens crafts this exceptional 100% Verdelho from grapes grown on Stellenbosch’s renowned Cavalli estate. The adventurous name “Proefkonyn” translates to “guinea pig” in Afrikaans, which perfectly captures his experimental spirit in the cellar. Critics love this bold project, awarding the Lourens Family Proefkonyn Verdelho a superb 91/100 from Winemag’s Christian Eedes and an impressive 93/100 from Tim Atkin MW.
This dry white wine offers intense aromas of golden peach, fresh apricot, and juicy pineapple with subtle earthy undertones. On the palate, it delivers dense stone fruit flavors balanced by a distinct, mouthwatering salinity. Maturation on fine lees for 10 months adds beautiful texture and tension to the liquid. Franco bottles the Lourens Family Proefkonyn Verdelho unfined with only a coarse filtration to preserve its wild, electric freshness.