Tasting Notes: 

The Mason Road Chenin Blanc is from a mix of young and old vines. The younger vines bring a freshness, while the older vines highlight the unique granite and saline mineral components of the vineyard. Most of the blend is coming from the young vines aged in stainless steel. 15-20% is coming from older vines that are aged in French oak, which gives depth, richness, and mineral notes. This creates layers of flavors and complexity with a long finish. Quite simply, this is a stunner of a wine at a very friendly price-point.

The aromatic profile of this wine is fresh and lively with yellow apple, pineapple, and sweet orange zest. On the palate, the wine shows lemon, yellow and green apple, toasted almond, biscuit, and hints of warming oak spice. The fruit is washed away with a touch of salinity and the benchmark Chenin Blanc zippy acidity.

Brookdale Wines:

The story of Brookdale Estate begins with the vision of Tim Rudd, a UK-native who purchased the historic, yet neglected wine farm and converted it into a thriving estate. Named after the hamlet where Tim was born, Brookdale has been transformed into one of the most beautiful wine farms in South Africa known for exceptional quality, sustainable and minimal interventionist approaches, and a world-class hotel and bistro on site.

In 2019, Brookdale appointed Kiara Scott Farmer as their head winemaker, which made her the youngest head female winemaker in South Africa at 26 years of age! Without missing a beat, she led the estate to become a top producer in South Africa.

Chenin Blanc: 

Chenin Blanc is incredibly versatile in style and has the ability to adapt to a wide range of tastes. It produces everything from a crisp, dry white, to a semi-sweet wine, dessert wine, or even a sparkling wine. While the Loire Valley may be the original home of Chenin Blanc, South Africa is actually the largest producer of the grape worldwide. 

With regional variations and the grapes natural versatility it can be hard to pin down just one flavor profile for Chenin Blanc. However, regardless of the style there are a couple of qualities that always hold true. Firstly its natural acidity plays a crucial role in all of its iterations. It’s what gives the crispy and dry versions their refreshing zestiness. It helps the sweeter variations stay in balance and not become cloying. And high acid grapes make for the perfect base for sparkling wines. The flavors running through all these styles can vary from tart pear, quince, ginger, jasmine, plum, and chamomile to passion fruit, honeycomb, persimmon, mango, and mandarin orange.

Paarl, South Africa:

Paarl’s winemaking legacy dates back hundreds of years, with French Huguenot settlers bringing their viticultural expertise in the late 17th century. These pioneers recognized the immense potential of the fertile soils and favorable climate. It’s so unique, it’s one of the few places in the world where you’ll find grapes growing next to tropical and cool climate fruits. Imagine having a back garden with orchard fruits, mangoes, and grape vines. This just isn’t possible in many other places! The historic South Africa Co-Operative Wine Growers Association had its headquarters here, and the famous Nederberg Wine Auction is held here every year. Today, Paarl is famous for hearty red & mineral-driven white wines from its diverse terroir.

Food & Wine Pairing: 

Chenin Blanc’s natural acidity is what makes it such a great partner for food as well. And its range of styles means there is a huge array of foods it can partner with. The dry examples are great with seafood, mild poultry, white meat, and even charcuterie. While the sweeter examples are perfect with anything a little bit spicy. This is a wine full of acid but also bursting with fruit so any food that mimics that combination of sweet and sour can really sing. Choose vegetables that have a little natural sweetness to them but add a little heat or citrus to the dish. Chenin Blanc is also a great holiday wine; it can stand up to both the turkey and the cranberry sauce at the same time. Something not a lot of wines can claim.

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