Sonop Chenin Blanc

Du Bois Vineyards

After more than nine decades of growing grapes for other producers, the du Bois family of Stellenbosch are launching the first wine under their own label. The Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024 marks a defining moment in a legacy that began in 1931. Generations later, after serving as a viticulturist at Uitkyk, Nicolaas du Bois grandfather of the current patron, Gabriël (Gawie) du Bois Snr – purchased the farm Sonop. There, he began cultivating wine grapes, laying the foundation for the family’s viticultural legacy. Ninety-three years later, Gawie Snr and his sons Gabriël Jnr and Jacques have turned a long-held dream into reality. “For years we watched our grapes become part of others’ stories,” says Gawie Jnr, who spent five years apprenticing under acclaimed winemaker Chris Alheit in Hemelrand. “Seeing our fruit in such fine wine is an honour, but coming home to make wine from our own land feels like finishing a story that began generations ago.” Brother Jacques describes the launch as the realisation of decades spent “walking the rows and listening to the soil and vines”. The Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024 comes from two single heritage vineyards planted in 1982 and 1986 on a north-eastern five-hectare slope, rising 240 to 280 metres above Koelenhof. The vineyards, rooted in red and blue shale over fractured clay, capture morning sunlight and consistent moisture, producing fruit of exquisite balance and clarity. Persistent False Bay breezes, a key element of Sonop Hill, temper vigour, intensify flavour. For the du Boises, winemaking is a conversation between generations, a quiet inheritance from a family that has learned to translate place into taste. “This is a dream come true for our family,” says Gawie Snr. We have always grown wine grapes, but now we can express the true taste of our place.” Gabriël Jnr adds, “We’ve learned to listen to our soils. It’s a voice worth hearing, and, we believe, a story worth telling.”