Albertus Viljoen Chenin Blanc

Serve with brie or chevre (goats’ milk cheese) and herbs, roast butternut quiche, Tuscan-style grilled chicken or roast duck and chicken korma curry. Enjoy this wine chilled at 10-12 ˚C

The pinnacle of all Alvi’s Drift Chenin Blanc wines, the grapes for our Albertus Viljoen Chenin Blanc hand-selected from our established, 25- to 48-year-old vineyards. Grapes from these vines, rooted in limestone banks and loamy sand soils, are harvested in the cool, early morning hours, then whole-bunch pressed to preserve their natural fruit flavours. This vintage saw cooler daytime temperatures than the previous season, with lower post-harvest rainfall. Cold units accumulated quickly in June but declined faster than usual. Early bud break and moderate spring conditions suggested an above-average crop. Hotter conditions in November and December required supplemental irrigation. A mid-December thunderstorm delivered 150 mm of rain, but the sudden spike resulted in runoff rather than subsoil absorption contributing to smaller berries and a lighter crop. Harvest began a week earlier than usual, with outstanding grape quality despite the reduced volumes. The season as a whole was hotter, with smaller berry sizes across all cultivars.

After fermentation, the wine was matured for a further 12 months in 100% French oak barrels and kept on lees to improve mouthfeel and complexity with regular bâtonnage applied. After maturation, wine from each barrel was individually tasted before blending.

After whole-bunch pressing, only the finest free-run juice is 100% barrel-fermented in French oak, using a combination of wild and cultured yeasts.

Alvi’s Drift is a third-generation, family-owned winery in South Africa’s Breede River Valley. Named after the bridge connecting the farm, our 410-hectare estate lies in the cool-climate Scherpenheuvel ward, where diverse soils shape our award-winning wines. From crisp whites to elegant reds, MCCs, and sparkling wines, each bottle reflects a love for craft and terroir. Led by winemaker Alvi van der Merwe, we blend tradition with innovation—doing more than expected, because we’re doing what we love.