# Swartland Chenin Blanc (2024)

- **Producer:** Wolf & Woman
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chenin Blanc
- **Region:** Western Cape, South Africa
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.2%
- **Average price:** €33
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, apple, pear, peach, apricot, butter, cream, toast, vanilla

## About this wine

Wolf & Woman is a boutique South African producer helmed by winemaker Jolandie Fouché. Based in the Swartland, the winery is dedicated to capturing the unique terroirs of the Western Cape through old, dryland bush vines. The name 'Wolf & Woman' reflects Jolandie's instinctive, hands-on approach to winemaking, inspired by the Nikita Gill quote: 'Some days I am more wolf than woman and I am still learning how to stop apologizing for my wild.' The 2024 vintage was shaped by an exceptionally hot, fast-paced growing season, requiring rapid decision-making but ultimately yielding wines of remarkable concentration, depth, and structural integrity.

## Interesting facts

- Sourced from certified Heritage Vineyards planted between 1976 and 1984, with vines aged up to 48 years.
- The winemaker, Jolandie Fouché, is known for her hands-on style, often seen during harvest with hands stained purple-black.
- Blends 70% decomposed granite soils for laser-sharp minerality with 30% iron-rich soils for weight and depth.

## Food pairing

This dry, high-acid Chenin Blanc pairs beautifully with rich, textured dishes. The wine's vibrant acidity cuts through the fat of roasted pork belly and buttery roasted chicken, while its medium body and subtle oak-derived texture match the weight of pan-seared scallops and aged cheeses like Gruyère.

## Wine making process

The grapes are sourced from four historic, dry-farmed old-vine vineyards (planted between 1976 and 1984) across the Paardeberg and Malmesbury regions. Hand-harvested in the early morning, the fruit is whole-bunch pressed and settled naturally overnight without commercial enzymes. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts, with 70% of the blend fermenting in seasoned 500L French oak demi-muids and 30% in a concrete egg. The wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation and ages on its gross lees for 10 months. It is bottled unfined with a coarse filtration and minimal sulfur additions.