Era-Renè 2024

The Story Behind the Wine
This is what happens when you're willing to wait for perfection. We've been working on this wine for nearly a decade, learning from each vintage, refining our approach, and gaining a deeper understanding of how our specific terroir expresses Chenin Blanc. The 2023 vintage marks a milestone - our first release of what we believe truly represents Bot River Chenin at its finest. Half of the fruit comes from vines initially planted with Sémillon in 2004, then carefully grafted to Chenin Blanc in 2016. The rest comes from a new bushvine vineyard planted in 2018. It's a blend of experience and youth, tradition and innovation.

The Vintage
Harvest 2023 was characterised by low yields and early ripening: exactly what you want for a wine of this calibre. The result is excellent concentration married to marked freshness, a combination that makes this vintage particularly special.

In the Glass
This debut vintage is taut and angular at first—demanding your attention before revealing its secrets. Give it time, and it opens to reveal a varied bouquet of unripe tropical fruit, white flowers, green apple, and lemon pith. The palate shows ripe orchard fruit alongside gooseberries, limes and flint, whilst fresh acidity and the texture of green pineapple skin add tang and length to the finish. This is Chenin Blanc with both elegance and edge.

How We Make It
Every decision reflects our commitment to natural expression. All fruit is whole-bunch pressed and 100% wild-fermented. Here's where it gets interesting: about 30% of the wine is fermented and aged in clay amphorae, adding texture and mineral complexity, whilst the rest develops in older 400L and 500L barrels. Nine months on lees before blending creates the integration and depth that makes this wine so compelling.
This combination of ancient techniques (clay vessels) with traditional methods (barrel fermentation) creates something uniquely ours—a wine that could only come from this place, made this way.

Perfect for: Those moments when you want something truly distinctive—pair with fresh oysters, grilled line fish, or creamy goat's cheese that can match its mineral complexity and vibrant acidity.

Technical Details:
Alcohol: 13.6% vol | Residual Sugar: 2.7g/L | Total Acidity: 6.0g/L | pH: 3.34

Release Date: June 2025