Old Vine Chenin

Shellfish, Spicy food, Lean fish, Mild and soft cheese

Fruit from a dry land farmed bush vine planted in 1974 in Agter-Paarl on Malmesbury shale and decomposed granite soils. Nestled between Paarl, Malmesbury, and Durbanville, the sun-drenched Agter Paarl depends on winter rains and cooling ocean breezes to temper its rugged climate. From these challenging dry- land conditions, hardy vines produce small, concentrated berries that yield exceptional wines— most notably a Chenin Blanc perfectly attuned to the terroir. The 2022 Chenin Blanc harvest in Agter-Paarl was defined by a cooler, longer growing season, resulting in exceptional quality, high concentration, and smaller berries. Although the overall South African crop was slightly smaller than 2021, the Chenin Blanc varietal in this region thrived. The result is a wine of profound resilience and heritage. On the palate, expect a concentrated, textured complexity—a balance of sun-ripened fruit and flinty minerality that promises to evolve beautifully in the cellar.

Barrel fermented in 500 li French Oak barrels (10 % new fill and 40 % second fill and 50 % 3 – 4th fill) and matured for 12 months on gross lees prior to bottling.

Hand harvested early morning. Crushed and destemmed with 5 hrs skin contact before pressing.

Growing up on my family’s sheep farm near Sutherland in the arid Karoo I spent hours exploring the veld with my canine companion. We enjoyed the simple pleasures of farm life and Nature has always been in my blood. With my passion for the outdoors combined with an affinity for Maths and Science I had my sights set on studying medicine and enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree at Stellenbosch University. It was here that the wine bug bit. After graduating from Stellenbosch University with a BSc and BSc Honours in Wine Biotechnology in 1998 I was appointed as Assistant Winemaker at Kleine Zalze in Stellenbosch in 1999. Completing harvest tenures in Sancerre St Emilion and Beziers France I gained an appreciation for the balance and elegance of the wines of these regions. Following my time at Kleine Zalze I accepted a winemaker position at Graham Beck Wines in 2005. After a brief stint under the mentorship of Charles Hopkins then-Cellar Master at Franschhoek I found myself the sole winemaker in a world class cellar and living my dream. Drawing on my extensive training and rewarding career as a winemaker and marketer with invaluable experience locally and abroad I took a leap of faith and started my own label in 2016.