Given the size of the Swartland appellation, there is, understandably a fairly wide array of expressions when it comes to the nature of its Chenin Blanc.
Wine of Origin Swartland
| Winemaker: | Jean Smit |
| Cultivar: | 100% Chenin Blanc |
| Origin: | Swartland |
Tasting notes:
The 2024 Swartland Chenin shows its familiar sun‑warmed fruit, underpinned by crystalline clarity and acidity.
The nose opens with peach and nectarine, lifted by a sweep of sweet spice – cardamom and a brush of orange zest. With air, white pepper and apricot sherbet emerge, alongside faint fynbos notes that add lift.
The palate is luminous: a seam of lemon‑sorbet acidity broadens into juicy stone fruit and orange slices before coiling back to a vivid line of white grapefruit. With time in the glass, the wine leans further into its ripe citrus core, while subtle spice and a touch of chalk dust frame a dry, textural finish.
Notes on the 2024 Vintage:
The Swartland entered 2024 on the back of a cold, wet winter with replenished soil reserves and deep vine dormancy. Budding was even and healthy for early‑waking cultivars such as Chenin Blanc. The shift to summer brought warm, dry conditions and sparse rainfall, punctuated by strong winds during flowering. These factors produced small, concentrated Chenin berries that ripened early, retaining bright acidity while delivering generous, sun‑washed fruit.
Vineyards:
The Swartland appellation offers a wide range of Chenin Blanc expressions, but this wine is rooted in the granitic outcrops of the Paardeberg. Both contributing vineyards lie roughly 37 km from the West Coast.
The first site sits on a hilltop at the north‑western edge of the Paardeberg, planted in two phases – 1971 and 1979. Decomposed granite, forced to the surface by ancient dolomite, lends tension and a subtle acidic grip to the wine.
The second site, Jakkalsfontein, was planted in 1983 on a north‑facing slope. Old bush vines here grow on decomposed granite over clay‑rich subsoils, delivering fruit of depth and natural concentration.
Winemaking:
Hand‑harvested between 22 and 29 January 2024, the grapes were chilled overnight to 8 °C. Whole clusters were hand‑sorted and pressed on a delicate champagne cycle, then settled overnight. Fermentation took place in 1,000L Austrian oak foudres.
All lees that remained in suspension were retained to maintain natural turbidity. No sulphur or enzymes were added during the winemaking process. Most batches saw sulphur for the first time just before bottling in January 2025. Malolactic conversion was blocked to preserve the wine’s vivid natural acidity, and no bâtonnage was performed. The wine matured sur lie for 11 months in 1,000L Austrian oak foudres at 6‑8 °C.
Maturation:
The wine will show at its most expressive within three to five years of vintage, but with careful cellaring it will evolve for over a decade, developing layered tertiary notes that reveal the pedigree of old‑vine Chenin Blanc.
Technical:
Total production: 2673 x 750ml and 100 x 1500ml
Bottling date: 10 January 2025
Alc: 12.53 % Vol
pH: 3.12
TA: 6.5 g/L
RS: 2.5 g/L