Saboteur White 2023

There’s always been so much to like about the Saboteur wines made by Bot River cellar Luddite, from the cool packaging (including crown-cap closure) to what’s actually inside the bottle. The White 2023 is now out and it doesn’t disappoint.

Consisting of 77% Chenin Blanc, 13% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Viognier sourced variously from Bot River, Stanford and Elgin, the first two varieties spent 12 days on the skins while maturation lasted seven months in older barrels (small portion of tank fermented Chenin added for extra fruit and freshness).

The nose is complex with lots of yeasty complexity initially but later opening to reveal honeysuckle, naartjie, peach, apricot, nectarine and melon. The palate is rich and dense but equally doesn’t lack freshness thanks to punchy acidity, the finish deeply savoury. As ever, plenty of interest from a wine that sells for the very reasonable price of R200 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.