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If you’re at all interested in the heritage and history of the South African winelands, then Roodekrantz is a brand that you need to explore, as it really does embody all the best elements of the South African wine Industry.

The Roodekrantz team is lead by father and son team Marius Burger Snr and Marius Burger Jnr. And if you thought that’s a quaint and cutesy little set-up, just wait until you meet them in person. They are archetypal respectful family unit; softly spoken, but not lacking intensity. Both measured and balanced. Sincere and heart-warming. I’d argue that their wines are all of those things, too. 

But moving on from the people, the heart of the project is about preserving and expressing South African wine heritage through a series of Old Vine wines, all sourced from Certified Heritage Vineyards across three of South Africa’s vital wines regions; Stellenbosch, Swartland, and Paarl.

The gentle respect expressed for one another extends into their winemaking, too, where winemaker Danie Morkel – in discussion with Snr and Jnr – set about delivering these wines in a fairly simple fashion, avoiding any new oak, using neutral yeasts, and employing spontaneous ferments where possible.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, their range of chenin blancs (as well as a few other wines) showcase some delightfully diverse expressions of the grape, serving as a spotlight that shines on the equally diverse range of climatic conditions to be found in different pockets of the South African Winelands.

Of course, if you have yet to sign up for your Monthly HanDrinksSolo Wine Subscription then you won’t be able to taste what I’m on about, and will have to hunt down the Roodebnkrantz 1983 Chenin in your own time. But until then, here are my tasting notes and some technical specs:

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👃🏼 White peach, touch of pineapple, nutmeg, dried honeybush tea, and fennel.

👄 The palate is delightfully chewy, with that characteristic old vine concentration. The stone fruit and tropical elements are ripe, but beautifully balanced by touches of citrus pith and that characteristic garnish of sea-salt that so often accompanies the better Swartland chenins.

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Wine of Origin Swartland. 100% Chenin Blanc. Grapes from the same Paardeberg vineyard that supplies Rhenosterbosrug. Matured for 10 months, 90% in tank and 10% in barrel.

RS 2.2 g/l | TA 5.96 g/l pH 3.41 | 13.57% alc |