Sonop in Koelenhof has been in the Du Bois family since 1931. Of the 140ha under vine, about 20ha are old-vine Chenin Blanc – fruit that already features in top wines like Bellingham’s The Bernard Series Old Vine and Alheit’s Cartology.

Tasting Notes:  Pale gold in the glass, the wine opens with a perfume of white flowers and fynbos, intertwined with top notes of gravel, flint and thatch. Initially, the palate reveals nuances of apricot and orange peel but evolves into yellow stone fruit with time.The mouth-coating old vineyard character is layered by a burst of freshness, pithiness and candied ginger, typical of shale-derived soils. The finish is persistent, spicy, and powerful. Rooted in place, it’s a wine to cellar, reflect on and share.

Food Pairing: Old-vine Stellenbosch white with notes of white flowers, apricot, candied ginger, and flinty acidity. Its complex, mineral-driven profile pairs exceptionally well with rich seafood (scallops, crayfish, lemon-butter kingklip), roasted chicken, pork belly, and creamy cheeses like Brie. 

This Old Vine Chenin Blanc offers up beautifully classical aromatics of warm rain on granite, dried straw, fynbos and lemon blossoms over more seductive white peach, fresh stem ginger and green apple fruit nuances. Initially very nervy, slightly reductive and tight fisted on opening as you would expect with a young 2024 wine, the perfume and fruit slowly unfurl, offering up something extra each time you nose the glass. The steely tension and linearity initially shape the palate but given a few hours to unwind, the wine shows the vintage’s archetypal effortless concentration and seamless glycerol texture with classical restraint. Deliciously saline with mouthwatering acids, the wine remains taut, racy and incredibly precise with a long, persistent honey and pear laden finish. Still embryonic, so lock this Chenin Blanc up in the cellar and revisit with interest in 2 to 3 years’ time. A phenomenal maiden release, Gabriel du Bois is definitely an exciting new young talent to watch very closely. Drink from 2027 to 2038+. 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Fourth-generation Gabriël du Bois studied at Elsenburg and worked with Chris Alheit from 2020 to 2024. This is his first release under the family label , sourced from two blocks planted in 1982 and 1986, spontaneously fermented and matured for 11 months in older 400-litre barrels.

The result is a wine of precision, restraint and quiet confidence. The nose shows pear, peach, a hint of flinty reduction, plus subtle floral and herbal notes. The palate is focused and taut – good fruit concentration matched by racy acidity, finishing pithy and dry. Lean but not overly so, tightly wound and long. Alc: 13.08%. CE’s rating: 94/100.

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.00% | TA 5.09g/L | pH 3.48 | RS 1.8g/L