Thorne & Daughters Cat’s Cradle Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023 750ml

Swartland Chenin Blanc needs no introduction, having long established its place among the world’s key expressions of this grape variety. The core of this wine, Langkloof, is an old bush vine Chenin Blanc vineyard planted on the granite slopes of the Paardeberg, owned by the Roussouw family. A small portion of the wine now also comes from Nuweland on the other side of Malmesbury, where the deep red soils impart a depth of honeyed fruit to the wines.

Harvesting is meticulously timed to preserve the acidity of the crop, which can diminish rapidly due to the scarcity of these granite-based soils.

This wine offers a very clear and bright expression of Chenin Blanc, with aromas of Chinese pear, yellow apple, and lime leaves. The rich, beeswaxy palate is full of flavors like salty almonds, light honey, and elderflower. The finish is long, textured, and pithy. This is a wine that will benefit from some time in the cellar to allow its full aromatic potential to develop.