2015 Riverside Chenin Blanc
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Tasting notes
This delicious wine is made by up and coming winemaker Alex Starey from 47 year old vines which deliver very low yields of incredible quality fruit year in and year out. The grapes are hand harvested, fermented in a combination of new and seasoned French oak and aged on the lees for 12 months which endows the wine with great complexity and character. Starey has been working at Keermont since 2005 and has received significant praise, with Neil Martin writing that “Keermont Vineyard is one of the leading lights of Stellenbosch, enjoying a rapid ascent under winemaker Alex Starey.” He continues, writing that “Alex Starey is one of the new breed of Stellenbosch winemakers. I am considering asking the South African authorities to do a selection massale of Alex, maybe take graftings from his hair, in order to create new winemakers that can be distributed across the region.’ With Neil Martin writing that he was “smitten by the 2015 Riverside Chenin Blanc", this exceptional value offering is likely to get snapped up and with so few bottles made, do be sure to grab some before it disappears entirely off the market.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Natural cork. Tasted blind. Fruity and zesty, with real drive. Hint of honey and really well put together. (JR)
The 2015 Chenin Blanc Riverside has a waxy, peach skin-scented nose with touches of melted wax coming through with time. Just a light reductive note. The palate is well-balanced with a keen line of acidity, very well-balanced, fresh with a lightly spiced, almond and chamomile-tinged finish. This evinces some very good winemaking, a complex Chenin Blanc that should age well. Tasted blind at the 10-Year-On horizontal in London.
The 2015 Riverside Chenin Blanc spends around 12 months in 500-liter oak barrels and around one-third new oak. Alex told me that he tries to buy neutral barrels to limit their influence on the taste and there is no bâtonnage. It has a very seductive bouquet of lemon curd, custard crème and a touch of vanilla, very subtle though and extremely delineated. The palate is fresh on the entry with lime, sour lemon and Cornice pear notes, the acidity well judged and demonstrating fine weight and detail on the finish. This is a thoroughbred Chenin Blanc that will offer a decade's worth of pleasure. Just 1,994 bottles produced, so grab one.