2021 Chenin Blanc Verdelho
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
A blend of 63% Chenin Blanc from the Paardeberg and 37% Verdelho from Voor-Paardeberg and Bot River. Aged in 400 and 225-litre old neutral oak, s has a gorgeous creamy, honeyed edge to the nose, with lemon peel and white peach, as well as notes of chamomile and almost ginger. The palate offers a hit of stony purity that complements the weight of fruit. It’s round and textured, yet with a pithy, tangy line of acidity that drives through its core, on to a honeyed, nutty finish. Gorgeous.
Critic scores
Average Score
Tim Atkin MW
Jason Millar, Decanter
More reviews and scores
This blend of two vineyards of Chenin Blanc and two of Verdelho is especially bright and detailed in the celebrated 2021 vintage. Marelise says that harvest was relatively serene and she was able to pick her Verdelho later than usual, and the proportion is higher in 2021 than 2020. The wine is both fresher and firmer than the 2020, with a beautifully delineated set of flavours: ripe Golden Delicious apple, dried apricot, physalis and fresh quince. The palate is concentrated and muscular, framed by an energising, vital acidity and the finish shows remarkable persistence. A distinctive, structured and powerful wine, this shows off the sparkling freshness of granite soils and the power and drive of shale. This is the bread-and-butter of the estate, and Marelise’s best-selling wine in her range. It spends 10 months in oak and is made with low intervention principles.
Five components from Bot River and the Voor Paardeberg supply the raw material for this cuvée of Chenin Blanc with 37% Verdelho. Youthful, focused and intense, it's a white wine that will age very well in bottle. Aniseed and fynbos aromas segue into a palate of chiselled acidity, green apple and lemongrass and a salty finish.
About the producer
Marelise Niemann’s Momento project is among South Africa’s most exciting. Named Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year in 2023, Niemann farms old-vine parcels in Bot River and the Swartland, focusing on Grenache and crafting site-expressive wines that belong on the world stage.