Hey Everyone,
Today I am tasting a lovely bottle of wine from the Paarl region of the Western Cape of South Africa. It is a wine right along the lines of what I look for when it comes to a good, straightforward every day drinking wine that I am happy to keep in my fridge and offer to friends as well as enjoy my self. This void had always been filled by another South African Chenin; the Secateurs from the Badenhorst stable and while it always pleased, I am truly excited to have come across this little gem.
It is a big wine to be sure, with a beautifully rich texture and body, it displays the characteristics of each varietal wonderfully. The Chenin Blanc leads off of course with a bright aroma of honeysuckle and stewed apricots, but it is shadowed by the fragrant and fleshy Roussane, which I think gives the wine an added element of peachy fruit that helps avoid the over-honeyed character that plagues some Chenin Blanc. The remainder of the blend; Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc and Verdelho all contribute their own characteristics of soft, fleshy fruit, rich viscosity and a hint of petillance that gives the wine a great lift and keeps it from being too oily.
Another element that I like about this wine is the commitment to the terroir. There is a great minerality on the finish almost reminiscent of the Loire Valley, which makes sense, but the cleanliness and elegance is really a lovely aspect of this £10 bottle of white. Furthermore, the winemaking adheres to the principals of Biodynamics, which is a concept I don't fully understand, but I find more and more that a wine maker willing to go to all the trouble of burying a dung filled cow horn on a full moon (I believe that's part of biodynamics), is likely to produce a good wine. It all comes down to caring about the wine you are making and nearly every Biodynamically made wine I have tasted has been at least a sold representation of variety and style. This wine, is delightful.
This is the sort of thing that draws me towards South Africa. I find that many wine makers here embrace their unique terroir and make wines that express their overabundance of natural grandeur. Here, with wine making traditions going back to the 17th century, there is a remarkable spirit to explore the potential of what can be achieved with the final product, while remaining true to the character of the land.
I hope you get a chance to try this lovely bottle and wish you all the best in the week ahead.
Much Love,
George
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