Franschhoek Sémillon

Pork, Shellfish, Poultry, Lean fish, Goat's Milk Cheese

Our Leeu Passant Sémillon hails from an exceptional dry-farmed, old vine vineyard established in 1963. Its terroir is defined by predominantly alluvial sandstone soils, with pockets of granite found along the higher slopes of the Franschhoek Valley, an interplay that contributes to the wine’s vibrant, naturally high acidity. Encircled by three mountain ranges, the vineyard experiences later morning sunlight, yet the soils retain warmth throughout the day, enhancing the wine’s depth, texture, and overall complexity. The Sémillon grapes were hand-harvested on the cool morning of the 9th of March 2025 and yielded four tons per hectare, which translated to an average of 25 hectolitres per hectare.

The 2025 Sémillon was aged on its lees in terracotta Amphora for 12 months, after which it was racked, blended and further matured in the same Amphora until the final racking and bottling.

Following whole-bunch oxidative pressing, the juice was left to settle overnight before being racked into terracotta Amphora. There, both primary fermentation, occurring naturally, and malolactic fermentation were completed.

The Leeu Passant winery, based in Franschhoek, was established in 2013 with the purpose of harnessing the most exciting vineyards of the Cape in order to create multi-regional wines from vineyards aimed at expressing the Cape as a whole (not only from Franschhoek). The Name “Leeu Passant” is derived from Heraldry, referring to a ‘passing Lion’ and this is the symbol on the top of the capsule. Chris and Andrea Mullineux search far and wide for the best parcels of grapes for these wines, and make them at the Leeu Passant base, on Leeu Estates.