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- 100% Chenin Blanc
- Grown on a 42-year-old Schist soil vineyard on Kasteelberg and a 46-year-old Granite soil vineyard on the Paardeberg, both of which are dry land farmed
- Grapes were hand-harvested at a normal ripeness for a dry wine and then left to desiccate outdoors in the shade for 16 to 30 days
- When the grapes were shriveled half-way to becoming raisins they were crushed and pressed whole-bunch and racked to old 225L barrels
- Natural yeast fermentation took 11 months for this vintage, allowed to stop naturally when the yeast couldn’t ferment any further
- Aged for 11 months in old (minimum 5th fill) 225L French oak barrels
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2024
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Swartland
Appellation:
Swartland
Variety:
Chenin Blanc
Color:
White
Farming Practice:
Sustainable
Sizes Available
| Half Bottle | ZA-MUL-80-24H | 12/375ml |
Resources
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
James Suckling
Score
93
Date
2018-06-21
Platter's
Score
96
Date
Tim Atkin, MW
Score
96
Date
Vinous
Score
94
Date
2018-08-30
Wine and Spirits
Score
97
Date
2019-02-01
Wine Spectator
Score
95
Date
2019-05-31
Vinous
Score
96
Date
2021-12-01
Wine Advocate
Score
95+
Date
2022-06-09
James Suckling
Score
95
Date
2022-11-08
Platter's
Score
94
Date
2022-11-18
Vinous
Score
96
Date
2022-09-26
Wine Advocate
Score
95
Date
2022-12-30
James Suckling
Score
94
Date
2023-10-23
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2023-11-02
"The 2022 Straw Wine is 100% Chenin Blanc, as usual, and comes from the highest malic acid granite vineyards so that natural acidity can counterbalance the richness. It is crushed before pressing and oxidized as much as possible before fermentation, which took long enough for it to be bottled only by the following February with 350g/L residual sugar. It has a gorgeous bouquet with quince, Satsuma, honey and marmalade. The palate is mellifluous on the entry with blood orange, quince and marmalade. There,s exquisite balance with the acidity effortlessly slicing through the finish. Fabulous."
Wine Advocate
Score
97
Date
2023-12-29
"It is always a treat to taste this impeccable bottling; the 2022 Straw Wine doesn't disappoint with its spicy and fresh aromas of apricot skin, dried mango and elegant baking spices. This is a masterclass in balance and precision, offering succulent acidity with a full-bodied expression that offers gobs of unctuous sweetness that sing in harmony. It's an immensely pleasurable sweet wine that reveals impeccable depth with precision, power and grace. I find myself simply smelling the glass and cannot put it down. I'll be adding some of this to my cellar, and I recommend you do the same."
James Suckling
Score
95
Date
2024-11-25
"A luxurious, beautifully balanced sweet wine, aromas of ripe nectarines and mangoes as well as honey, caramel, figs and wildflowers leaping out of the glass. It's almost syrupy in texture but matched by bright acidity and intense flavor. Chenin blanc from two vineyards: one 46 years old, the other 42. Drink now or hold."
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2024-09-19
"The 2023 Straw Wine comes from the same vineyard as usual, harvested from 45-year-old vines that produce high acidities. It underwent no malo due to the high natural concentration of malic acid during the four-week drying process on the farm. This has 335g/l residual sugar with a crucial 11g/l acidity. The bouquet is enticingly intense and beautifully defined, oozing with wild honey, quince and Clementine. The palate is impeccably balanced with a killer line of acidity that slices through the tangy honeyed fruit. Almost crystalline on the finish, it lingers long in the mouth with amazing purity."