Limited-production white blend from Stellenbosch's Polkadraai Hills. Crafted by Mvemve Raats (41% Chenin Blanc, 37% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon), it offers aromas of lime blossoms and waxy bergamot, a broad, fleshy, fruit-forward palate with green fruit and citrus, and a vibrant, chiselled finish.

Grapes are all hand harvested - left in a chiller overnight - then processed the following day to further ferment separately. The Chenin Blanc was aged  in concrete, both the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc were destemmed, skin fermented for up to 7 days, basket pressed and then matured in older  French oak barrels for 9 months.  

After 9 months aging on lees - like with the MR de Compostella selection  process - we choose the best individual components in a blind tasting to  then thereafter blend them together in the cellar. The wine then naturally settles for about 2 months before we rack and bottle the wine. The result cuvee is called Vesperi (The Evening Star) 

Tasting Notes: The cuvee presents a lovely bouquet with lemon curd, French patisserie, egg whites and light waxy scents. The palate is very well balanced, with a touch  of spice on the tensile entry. Notes of orange rind, apricot and meringue fan out nicely toward the fresh, textured, slightly honeyed finish that beckons you back for more. 

This second edition of the “white MR” is a similar blend to the maiden 2023 but possess a slightly higher Chenin Blanc portion at 41%, alongside 37% Sauvignon Blanc and 22% Semillon, that was matured for nine months in older oak barrels. While the oak and vanilla spice is perceptible, it’s also beautifully integrated with alluring aromatics of lime blossoms, lemon cordial, hints of waxy bergamot citrus, before more savoury, biscuity notes of nutty lees, wet straw and yellow orchard fruits. With the Sauvignon Blanc picked opulently ripe, its no surprise that the palate entry leads with more intense green fruit notes of greengage and orange citrus before the Chenin Blanc and Semillon slowly assert their presence. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, the balance is impressively harmonious and the fruit acid integration seductively seamless. Vibrant and noticeably chiselled on the finish, this is such a wonderfully accomplished addition to the lucrative Cape white blend category. Drink the Vesperi on release and over the next decade. 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW

'The 2024 MR Vesperi is the sophomore release. The Sauvignon Blanc is picked super ripe and left on the skin in a new barrel to counter the acidity and to match with the Chenin Blanc and Sémillon. Therefore, unusually, the concentration derives from this compared to the other two varieties. It has a perfumed floral bouquet with dandelion and Mirabelle scents and hints of yellow fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc component is very subtle. The palate is supremely well balanced with a keen line of acidity and vivid flavours that come bounding from the glass. Lightly spiced and perhaps a tad more persistent than the maiden vintage, this is exceptionally fine. Thankfully, there is twice as much of this as the 2023.' – Neal Martin, Vinous, 96/100

ANALYSIS: ALC 13% | TA 5.0g/L | pH 3.95 | RS 3.95g/L