Stellenrust 60 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2024

Old-vine, oak-aged Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc like this is a real treat - think ripe stone and tropical fruit with a touch of toasty vanilla oak. Like a creamy white Burgundy, but a bit crisper and more exotic. Chenin Blanc may be South Africa's most popular white grape, but few producers put in as much effort as Stellenrust to perfect the style. Made from vineyards planted in 1964, it's wild-fermented and aged on lees in French oak for nine months, giving honeyed fruit, smooth creaminess, and a lingering, bright finish. There's a lot of wine here for the money - rich, polished, and seriously good value.

It's ever so food-friendly, pairing beautifully with things like creamy pasta, roast chicken in a tarragon sauce, or a mild aromatic curry. Rich and smooth but never over the top - it knows how to hold its own at the table.

From bottling their first wines back in 1928 Stellenrust is now one of South Africa's largest family-owned wine estates. They have nearly 400ha of vines surrounding the beautiful town of Stellenbosch where the varying terroir, ranging from the decomposed granite of Helderberg's Golden Triangle to the sandy clay soils high up in the Bottelary hills, are well suited to the different varietals and wines they produce. Stellenrust is also committed to ethical practices. They are a Fairtrade producer and run a successful Black Economic Empowerment project, allowing farm workers to own a share of the land they cultivate.