Botanica Mary Delany Chenin Blanc 2017

From the magical Citrusdal Mountain ward, the Botanica Mary Delany Chenin Blanc should demand the same cult status as anything else from there. Locally, however, it doesn’t sell quite as fast as winemaker Ginny Povall might like although she does admit with a rueful smile that her marketing effort leaves something to be desired. Both the 2016 and 2017 vintages were available for tasting at the recent Cape Wine exhibition:

Botanica Mary Delany Chenin Blanc 2016
Citrus, peach and a definite bee’s wax-like quality. Rich and round with coated acidity, the finish long and savoury. Rather more Loire-like than many SA examples. Approximate retail price: R285 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 93/100.

Crackerjack.

Botanica Mary Delany Chenin Blanc 2017
Citrus, peach and apple plus just a hint of leesy complexity on the nose. Rich and full but balanced – concentrated fruit, tangy acidity and a gently savoury finish. Layers and layers of flavour. Not yet released.

Editor’s rating: 95/100.

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