Chenin Blanc/Other Blends

Crafted from old bush vines planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s which are grown without irrigation on various types of granite soil. The vineyards are planted on varying facing slopes bringing tremendous variety to the fruit. Fruit from other selected sites within the appellation are also purchased to complete the final blends. Comprised of Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Verdehlo, Grenache Gris, Clairette Blanche, Semillon and Palomino. Whole bunch pressed directly to old casks (1200L foudres and one 3000L foudre) for fermentation and ageing of 15 months. After this the wines are racked and blended in a...

Adi Badenhorst one of the more righteous producers of South Africa with a strong currency in the reinvention of boutique wines there, and further. Here’s chenin from the beating heart (or edges) of Swartland region. Organic, natural winemaking. Importer: Ex Animo Squeaky, clean, texture, brightness, soft citrus characters, yellow stone fruit, a little nougat, fresh and really easy to drink. Some quiet detail set around bready notes/grilled nuts too. You’d drink this by the gallon. So would your pals. Easy. Drink 2021 - 2023. 92 Points Mike Bennie - The Wine Front (September 2021) #NEWSA

Tim Atkin MW 95 points. "Combining grapes from Elgin and the Bottelary Hills, fermented in older wood and mostly unglazed clay amphoras, this is a brilliantly judged cuvée with quince, nectarine and grapefruit flavours, stony intensity and a waxy, balanced finish. 2022-28." TA. Wines are registered with the South African Vegan Society. A world class Chenin, intense and complex. Naturally fermented in clay amphora and described by Catherine herself as 'peaches on a wet stone' it should develop beautifully with age. The wine offers layers of ripe yellow fruit, pineapple, white flowers with a mineral, flinty aftertaste....

The nose shows a hint of reduction before stone fruit, dried herbs, a little waxy character, earth and spice while the palate has great depth and texture for a wine with an alcohol of just 12.5%. Layers of flavour, nicely integrated acidity and a gently savoury finish.' – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100. Chenin blanc (49%), Clairette blanche (9%), Sémillon (8%), Grenache blanc (7%), Roussanne (7%), Verdelho (6%), Viognier (6%), Marsanne (4%), Colombar (4%) The Aristargos 2021 is yet again predominantly both Chenin blanc and Old Vines driven (Chenin blanc, Sémillon, Clairette blanche and Colombar), and the focus...

'Arrival 25 May or earlier This wine, incorporating grapes from seven separate vineyards on various soils with planting dates ranging from 1968 to 1985, just gets more and more refined. The nose shows pear, peach and citrus to go with potpourri and a touch of flinty reduction. The palate, meanwhile, is pure and concentrated with lively acidity and a saline finish. Each component part combining seamlessly, the end-result is a wine of particular poise and luminosity.' – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 96/100. #NEWSA

The Hoë-Steen vineyard was planted in 1968 west of Malmesbury towards Darling, in deep, red iron and clay rich soils. Most probably the deepest soils we work with in the Swartland. This block is a late ripener due to south facing slopes. This vineyard was planted on a “massale” selection method and grafted in the vineyard onto the root stocks a year after the root stocks were planted. A few Cape Riesling (Crouchen blanc), False Pedro, Palomino, Sémillon and Clairette blanche vines have been discovered since then. The vineyard remains predominantly Steen for us and we see it as part of the Cape’s old vineyard...

These vines were planted in 1985 in very shallow shale soils in the Paardeberg, being an anomaly as the mountain is granite driven. These soils prove why our region is known for wheat farms as it remains a difficult soil for vineyards in a warm region, dryland farm context. A small tractor road divides the Plat’bos and Skaliekop vineyards. Skaliekop was harvested mid/end February over three picking dates. The wines of the different pickings were aged separately, before blending and then bottling at the end of the year. This wine qualifies for the Certified Heritage Vineyards (CHV) seal and forms part of the Old Vine Project (OVP)....

Tim Atkin MW 92 points "To make up for the variety's comparatively low acidity in the Swartland, David and Nadia Sadie used seven days of skin contact on this old-vine Semillon, produced for the first time in 2018. Elegant, bready and showing some tannic structure, it's a promising début from this brilliant couple." - Tim Atkin MW, South African Special Report 2019. #NEWSA

Tim Atkin 96 points. A wine of incredible density and precision. A hint of yellow suggests sun ripened berries, with a bright green hue promising freshness. Aromas of lime blossom, white peach, caramel and brioche are followed by a poised palate with an extremely concentrated core. This is a great wine that will reward decades of cellaring. A true statement of DeMorgenzon’s dedication to excellence. Very limited production. VINIFICATION AND MATURATION The grapes were picked in two different passes from a particular part of the old vineyard. The grapes were handpicked in the early morning hours, with bunch selection done in the...

Honey, white peach and hints of pineapple are complemented by savory notes of roasted almond and toasted brioche. A fine mousse and refreshing acidity provides a remarkably refreshing drinking experience. Chenin Blanc grapes are handpicked and harvested for freshness and acidity at between 19.5o and 20.5o Balling. Grapes are pre-cooled and then whole bunch-pressed with the juice allowed to settle naturally. Half of the wine is naturally fermented in stainless steel tank, with fermentation being stopped to retain a certain percentage of the grapes own sugar. The barrel fermented portion is allowed to ferment naturally to dryness with periodic...

Top Ten Chenin, Winemag. The bright nose displays fine Chenin attributes of floral and citrus aromas. The crisp, refreshing palate has succulence and weight providing a finish with texture and good length.

Tim Atkin MW 95 points. Winemakers Comments This show-stopping white displays effusive aromas of white flower, stone fruit, honey and toast which erupt into opulent flavours of pear, orange blossom, caramel, and spice. It’s a world-class wine offering that strikes a brilliant balance between lush fruit and crisp, mouth-watering acidity.

Gold & Regional Trophy International Wine Challenge 2020. 93 points Tim Atkin MW South Africa Report 2020. 92 Points Decanter World Wine Awards 2019.   The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering after taste. Winemaker Carl van der Merwe Varietal blend 38% Roussanne 26% Chenin Blanc 22% Grenache Blanc 8% Viognier 6% Marsanne Appellation Stellenbosch

Napoleon Bonaparte's personal favourite. 500ml bottle. The legend lives on. James Suckling 98-99 points. “Extraordinary aromas...it maintains citrusy freshness and texture... Always energetic and vivid. Great length to this. Goes on for minutes. It’s a sweet wine to drink when young, to marvel over the intensity and verve, yet also one to age for decades.” Matthew Jukes 19.5++/20. “ ... The 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure... I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is...

James Suckling 97 points. Bright, medium to deep gold hue, showing focused and pure aromas of honeysuckle, fresh vanilla, lemon tart, dried mango, ginger and a hint of saffron. Certainly quite sweet, but not unctuous, with the natural, effortless acidity managing to balance the lushness. Intense, yet scented and naturally expressive. Persistent finish. You crave for a second glass if you drink it now, but you can also hold it for a decade in your cellar. #NEWINT

Tim Atkin MW 97 points. The Sadie Family Skerpioen is a mixture of the Chenin Blanc and Palomino varieties from old vines aged over 65 years old and planted in clay and calcareous soils. These grapes grow 2 km from the Atlantic Ocean and enjoy a sea breeze that contrasts the dry climate. The work in the vineyard is organic and carried out without using chemical additives that can impair the natural balance of the terroir. The harvest is manual at the optimum point of ripeness. When the Sadie Family Skerpioen grape reaches the winery, the two varieties are pressed together and the resulting must ferments spontaneously with native yeasts and...

Tim Atkin MW 98 points. This extraordinary 100% Chenin Blanc hails from South Africa’s northernmost wine region; the arid Citrusdal Mountain WO, on the west bank of the Olifants River. Specifically, the fruit is drawn from Basie van Lill’s 90-year-old, ungrafted bush vines on the decomposed, red sandstone slopes of the Skurfberg (which means ‘rigid mountain’). Planted between 1940 and 1955, these immaculately farmed vines have never been treated with herbicides or chemical fertilizers. “It is a truly great site for Chenin, and it is most unusual that such a warm and dry area still produces wines with this...

Tim Atkin MW 98 points. Location Swartland Grapes Semillon Blanc, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Chenin Blanc & Muscat d’ Alexandrie (South African synonym) Groendruif, Vaalblaar, Steen & Hanepoot Ageing 12 Months in old Acacia and Oak foudres. NOTES | The 2021 Voetpad, with its significant percentage of Semillon in the field blend, displays the wet wool, lanolin and waxy aromas associated with the variety. Followed by the Palomino’s portion of straw-haybale characteristics that carry into the ripe apricot Chenin aromas, it makes for a very complex wine this year. The tannins are as firm and solid as only this vineyard can...

Tim Atkin MW 96 points. Producer tasting notes: "The 2020 Palladius displays for the first time in many years a cordial lime, citrus and zesty entry point on the aromas that follow through and then develop into mineral/ salty qualities that spill over into some secondary white stone fruit aromas. For the first time, these stone fruit aromas made their appearance in the 2019 bottling. The wine has a firmly textured structure, the tannin is exceptionally compact, and the volume seems to be suspended in its weight." - The Sadie Family Wines. Cultivars / Blend Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho,...