5 Stars 2022 Platter’s South African Wine Guide

Layers complex fruit, salty acid & oak spice (15% new) – each sip bestows a new facet of 20 (96 pts). Chenin (66%) as backbone, clairette blanche, grenache blanc, semillon gris, viognier & verdelho. From 4 main Swartland soils, like 19 (93 pts) 11 months in old wood.

92 pts James Suckling

This has a ripe and complex nose of cooked lemon, apricot, papaya, shortcrust pastry, chamomile, juniper berries and roasted hazelnuts. It’s full-bodied, round and oily, yet fresh. Flavorful marriage of spiced fruit, flowers and nuts. 66% chenin blanc, 18% clairette blanche, 5% grenache blanc, 4% semillon, 4% viognier and 3% verdelho. Unfiltered.

91 pts Wine Advocate

Mostly Chenin Blanc, with five other varieties, the 2020 Old Vine White is fresh, vibrant and dusty with notes of peach ring, yellow apple skin and kumquat. Medium-bodied, the palate is energetic with notions of lees and citrus skin before fresh flavors of pineapple and wax melon sway into focus. The wine concludes with a bright, textural finish that will remain food-friendly until it’s 10th birthday. Give it a try. 2022-2030

90 pts Vinous

The 2020 White Old Vines has a minimalist bouquet that offers fleeting glimpses of citrus peel and beeswax, although I would have liked a little more Chenin character to come through. The palate is well balanced with a lovely texture and hints of brioche and walnut. A subtle lemongrass note emerges toward the finish. Give this 2-3 years in bottle for the aromatics to develop.