A.A. Badenhorst Kalmoesfontein White Blend 2021

There are reasons why many Western Cape winemakers increasingly turn to accounts spoken in stacked varieties through appellative white blends. Not because it can be a French thing to do in the ways of Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe but because it makes for wines possessive of immense character. Adi Badenhorst makes use of at least 10 different grapes and you’ll need to read the bottle to know what they are. But seriously chenin blanc is joined by grenache gris, grenache blanc, marsanne, clairette, verdelho, roussanne, sémillon, viognier and palomino, Stacked, layered, integrated and in a vintage as rich as ’21 also acidified just ever so slightly. Says Adi. ‘We need this wine and to pay a lip service to them is essential.’ White Blends they are the walrus. ‘I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.’ Sees one year in foudres and one in concrete. Only in South Africa and as here so very noteworthy from the Kalmoesfontein Farm at the base of the Paardeberg do these extract and alcohol conversion rates create magic. Decomposed stone infused, citrus and DNA of granite manifested as a swirl of orange, lemon and lime, tea and cordial fulfillment. Swartland grape varieties combining for brilliance in genius, epically so. Drink date: 2023-2030. Tasted October 2022. Score – 96. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)