Cape Garden, Swartland Chenin Blanc

• Vintage: 2021
• Origin: Swartland, South Africa where it is also bottled.

• Taste guide: This Chenin Blanc expresses a harmonious balance between a complex depth of flavour and lively fruit nuances including ripe pear, summer apricot and succulent peach. Zippy on entry to the palate, mellows with those apricot/peach flavours and some vanilla nuances. Tasted November’23

• Food pairing: Deeply satisfying on its own, the wine is also an ideal partner to grilled fish, sushi and light pasta dishes.Best served chilled.

• 75cl - 12.5% - Screwcap Opening - Vegan Friendly

This Chenin, like the Sauv Blanc and white blend we have from the same stable, are all exquisite wines that bring to life the regional diversity of an area that is home to the smallest and most varied floral kingdom in the world, Fynbos.

Hidden within these secret leafy biomes are intriguing endemic creatures waiting to be discovered. The same unique climatic and geographic features that create this myriad of natural flora and fauna wonders, define wines that epitomise the best characteristics of each region.

This collection is created in tribute to all that makes the Cape special - offering exceptional provenance and a tantalising journey through the region in a glass.

THE VINTAGE

After an above-average winter in 2020, with sufficient rainfall and cold temperatures, Spring was late, with budding occurring approximately two weeks later than usual. From the beginning of the season the vines showed a pleasing balance of growth and fruit.

Crop management was performed throughout the crucial stages and the weather was optimal for good flowering and berry set development.

THE VINEYARDS

The Swarland is an evocative quiet rural wilderness renowned for its spectacular indigenous wildflowers as well as for vineyards producing some of the finest Chenin Blanc wines in the world.

The grapes for this Chenin Blanc were harvested from 12-year-old bushvines.

The soils are deep, weathered sandstone with underlying clay, promoting a deep root system.

The vines are planted at a high density which create competition between the wines, promoting high density fruit with quite uniquely small berries. The vineyard is situated near the cellar at approximately 270 metres above sea level. This proximity allows for early morning harvesting of grapes and a prompt start of the vinification process with cold fruit.

THE WINEMAKING

The grapes were harvested by hand. After crushing and destemming, the juice was kept in two different settling tanks and fermented separately. The tanks were treated with different fermentation yeasts to promote both fruit forward wines and simultaneously, a great mouthfeel. While one settling tank received untoasted oak maturation, the other had the benefit of lightly toasted oak chips. After a 6-week fermentation period, the two components were blended.

Lots of wine for your money here, just £7.69 for a lovely Chenin Blanc, bottled in South Africa.