Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc

A beautifully balanced old vine wine that pairs effortlessly with roasted poultry, creamy seafood dishes, grilled vegetables, and aged cheeses.

What is about an old vine that makes it so compelling? Its gnarled appearance only hints at some of the mystery. The story of many seasons weathered can only be truly appreciated in the multi-dimensional wines these resilient plants produce. The Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc is one of the very first old vine focused wines in South Africa. This vineyard, planted in 1983 in the cool climate of Cape Town, is a rare and sought-after site in the area. The unirrigated single vineyard is planted on a combination of weathered shale and granite soils, on a low-yield, east-facing slope and cooled by sea breezes from Table Bay and False Bay.

Old vine wines should let the vineyard speak, not the winemaker. This wine undergoes careful vinification to preserve fruit purity and terroir expression. Harvested in two phases, the first batch (30%) ferments naturally in 3rd-fill French oak for freshness, while the later, riper portion ferments in 1st (35%) and 2nd-fill (35%) French oak to enhance depth. Post-fermentation, the wine rests on lees with monthly bâtonnage before blending and bottling after 10 months.

Bellingham is a historic Franschhoek wine name dating back to 1693, with a legacy of Cape firsts including rosé and single-varietal Shiraz. Today, the range draws from selected Western Cape vineyards to produce contemporary South African wines with structure, regional character and broad everyday appeal.