Chenin Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled seafood, roasted chicken, mildly spiced Asian dishes
✨ Technical Specifications
Chenin Blanc, historically known as 'Steen' in South Africa, has long been the cornerstone of the Cape's winemaking heritage. Boschendal's Coastal Region Chenin Blanc beautifully captures this legacy, drawing fruit from select vineyards where cooling maritime breezes from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans temper the warm African sun. This unique terroir allows the grapes to undergo a slow, even ripening process, retaining their vibrant natural acidity while developing rich, complex flavors. To enhance the wine's depth, the winemakers employ extended lees contact, which coaxes out a beautifully textured, creamy mouthfeel that perfectly balances the bright, tropical fruit notes of guava, peach, and citrus. It stands as a testament to the Cape's ability to produce world-class, expressive white wines with a profound sense of place.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1685 by Huguenot settler Jean le Long and developed by the De Villiers family, Boschendal is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa. Anchored in the Groot Drakenstein Valley between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, the estate's vineyards span granite, sandstone, and alluvial terraces sheltered by the Simonsberg and Drakenstein mountain ranges. This dramatic topographical setting yields a Mediterranean macroclimate defined by cool mountain breezes, dry summers, and generous winter rainfall, delivering vibrant natural acidity. Viticulture adheres to rigorous environmental stewardship as a WWF Conservation Champion and Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) practitioner. The winemaking philosophy emphasizes purity, site transparency, and textural balance across both stainless steel and French oak regimes. Boschendal is celebrated for its benchmark Cap Classique sparkling wines, including the Jean Le Long Prestige Cuvée, as well as exceptional still whites like the 1685 Chenin Blanc, Appellation Series Chardonnay, Suzanne white blend, and botrytised Vin D'Or Noble Late Harvest.
🍇 Grapes
Chenin Blanc
🍷 ABV
13-13.5%