Beaumont Chenin Blanc 2024Chenin Blanc • Walker Bay, Cape South Coast, South Africa Floral and expressive, opening with green apple and pear, then a pretty surprising note of sweet green herb layered with citrus zest. Medium-bodied, lean and bright, with crisp acidity and transparency that lets you taste the grape, the place, nothing in the way. Sebastian Beaumont took over the cellar in 2004 and has built the estate's reputation on a single-minded focus — Chenin Blanc from vines planted in 1974. Cool maritime influence from the coast slows ripening, forces flavor development. Hand-off winemaking: fermentation in stainless steel with a mix of natural and inoculated yeasts, then it goes into bottle in May and sits. No oak, no fussing, just what the grapes want to be. The soils are ancient shale, the climate is marginal by design, and the result is a wine with precision and elegance. This is a South African benchmark Chenin, the kind that ages beautifully and drinks just as well young. Pair it with: Shellfish, butter-poached halibut, goat cheese salad with crusty bread.
