Stellenrust 59 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2023

Bottelary is pretty special country when it comes to old-vine Chenin Blanc having given us Radio Lazarus from Alheit, 1947 from Kaapzicht and the Barrel Fermented from Stellenrust. Planted in 1964, this latter vineyard’s age in the year of production is proudly displayed by a badge on the bottle.

The 2023 vintage saw fermentation take place in barrels, of which 16% were new, the process taking two months to complete. Maturation lasted a further five months, 57% in oak and 43% in concrete eggs.

Expressive aromatics of honeysuckle, thatch, quince, yellow peach and pineapple plus some leesy complexity while the palate is succulent with bright acidity and a savoury finish (alc: 13.5%). Rich but not overly sweet, dense but not monolithic, it’s a lot of wine for the relatively modest price of R275 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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