Vinum Chenin Blanc

Southeast Asian cuisine or pork chops with apples.

The gnarled old bush vines that produce this characterful Chenin Blanc are planted in some of the purest granite soils on the foothills of the magnificent Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. The vines are mainly grown under dryland conditions, meaning they are not irrigated, and therefore their roots plunge metres into the granite subsoil in search of moisture. The altitude of the vineyards, the steep South-East facing slope and the proximity to False Bay mean that these vines are well exposed and cooled by winds that come off the ocean during the long, hot summer. These factors combine to produce a wonderfully fresh and vivacious expression of what is to us, the Cape’s greatest grape.

This took place mainly in tank, on the lees, with about 40% of the must being transferred into Burgundian barrels for natural fermentation – an equal mix of new, 2nd and 3rd fill. There was also a small portion of skin contact. In combination these steps have resulted in the preservation of freshness, but also development of considerable fruit and aromatic intricacy in the wine alongside the mineral edge it so proudly displays. The wine retains lively fruit, a lithe texture, steely acidity & abundant aromatic concentration: the exact qualities you’d expect from beautiful old vines in this area.

Grapes were picked by hand as well as manually sorted to ensure that we maintain the purity of varietal expression for which this wine has become known. Gentle destemming before equally gentle pressing in a pneumatic bag press were used and the extracted juice was settled in chilled stainless-steel tanks prior to alcoholic fermentation.

Founded in 1998 by Alex Dale, Radford Dale set about the Cape in search of exciting vineyard parcels for their chosen specialist varietals. Today, they have two producing wineries. The first is located in Stellenbosch, predominantly focused on sourcing maritime influenced parcels around the Helderberg and Polkadraai. Here, they produce the cult, single vineyard wines of Renaissance Chenin Blanc and Frankenstein Pinotage, and the Radford Dale Vinum range; a set of six wines that consistently overdeliver on style to price. The 2022 vintage marked the maiden release from their own vineyards purchased in Elgin under Radford Dale Organic, with the release of four single varietal Estate wines, the only organic certified vineyards in the region. More recently, they have co-founded South Africa’s first Organic Wine Association. They continue to reintroduce Gamay Noir to the Cape, establishing the first new plantings for some 20 years. It’s a varietal geared up to thrive in warm conditions, and on granite soils. Stylistically, Gamay also embodies Radford Dale’s championing of elegant, refreshing red wines.