Du Bois Chenin Blanc 2024

Sonop in Koelenhof has been in the Du Bois family since 1931. Of the 140ha under vine, about 20ha are old-vine Chenin Blanc – fruit that already features in top wines like Bellingham’s The Bernard Series Old Vine and Alheit’s Cartology.

Fourth-generation Gabriël du Bois studied at Elsenburg and worked with Chris Alheit from 2020 to 2024. This is his first release under the family label (R430 a bottle), sourced from two blocks planted in 1982 and 1986, spontaneously fermented and matured for 11 months in older 400-litre barrels.

The result is a wine of precision, restraint and quiet confidence. The nose shows pear, peach, a hint of flinty reduction, plus subtle floral and herbal notes. The palate is focused and taut – good fruit concentration matched by racy acidity, finishing pithy and dry. Lean but not overly so, tightly wound and long. Alc: 13.08%.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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