W.O. Swartland ‘Bosberaad‘ - Chenin Blanc (21)

Chenin Blanc | single vineyard 'Kweperfontein' op de Paardeberg | 0,4 ha | stokken geplant in 1980 | bodem van decomposed granite | gisting en rijping voor 10 maanden in oude Franse vaten | elegante stijl | kweepeer | sinaasappelbloesem | fijne structuur

Paulus Wine Co. 

Piepklein en enorm interessant project; dat is Paulus Wine Co. Het is het privé project van Paul Jourdaan en Pauline Roux. Paul werkt bij Eben Sadie als wijnmaker en Pauline heeft bij Adi Badenhorst gewerkt. Tot nu toe maken ze 1 wijn: Bosberaad Chenin Blanc en de eerste jaargang was 2018. De komende jaren gaan er stukje bij beetje wijnen bijkomen, te beginnen met een 2e Chenin Blanc. 

Review

On the same day that I read Hildago’s piece, I opened a bottle of 2019 Bosberaad Chenin Blanc from Paulus Wine Co. Never heard of it? Nor had I until I cracked off the white wax capsule. Paul Jourdaan, winemaker for Eben Sadie at Sadie Family Wines, and Pauline Roux, who has worked with fellow Swartland winemaker Adi Badenhorst, are behind this project. Those are pretty good credentials. This cuvée comes from 0.40 hectares of vine planted in 1980 in a cool microclimate on Waterval Farm in the Paardeberg that adjoins Badenhost’s estate, Franziska Wickens tending the vines. The debut was limited to 1,200 bottles and this sophomore is just 1,600 bottles. It comes with a very cool label that I describe as “Dr. Manhattan thinking about becoming a winemaker”. Watchmen fans will know what I mean. It tastes magnificent, so much so that I cleaved it away from my forthcoming South Africa report to highlight this bottle in Cellar Favorite. Its cool microclimate shows on the nose: brilliantly defined scents of honeysuckle, lanolin, Conference pear and white peach unfold and gain even more complexity the following day. The palate is beautifully balanced, demonstrating what Chenin Blanc can do in the right hands. There is real complexity that derives not from obvious flavors, rather its wonderful waxy texture and salinity that electrifies its finish. It is one of the best Chenin Blanc wines that I have tasted in a long time and I suspect will age extremely well. 93/100 Neal Martin