Due to its small size and low yield, the vineyard is carefully monitored and the harvest is precisely timed at the desired ripening point. To achieve optimal flavor expression, the grape juice is left on the skins for a few hours to extract more flavors. It is then pressed and cold clarified overnight, without fining agents or enzymes. The clean juice ferments spontaneously with natural yeasts in 400-litre barrels stored in a refrigerated barrel cellar. Natural malolactic fermentation is also allowed. The wine is aged on the fine lees without battonage for 12 months before being bottled.

Tasting Notes: The palate reveals an expansive core of white peach, waxy lemon peel, and Japanese green tea. You will enjoy a seamless harmony between the vibrant citrus intensity and a tangy, well-integrated acidity. Hints of lemongrass and pineapple confit add layers of complexity to the long, stony finish. This Swerwer Wolwekop Single Vineyard Semillon 2023 maintains a sleek mouthfeel without the oily nuances often found in younger vines.

Food Pairing: It pairs wonderfully with creamy seafood pasta, grilled line fish, or roasted poultry seasoned with fresh herbs. The imperceptible oak influence allows the dusty granite minerality to take center stage in every glass.

This 2023 turns the volume up once again and delivers a most melodious expression of this noble cultivar. Bright crystalline yellow gold in the glass, the aromatics of this new release are incredibly pure, fresh and focused showing notes of lemon grass, waxy lemon peel, white peach and hints of green apple all underpinned by a wonderfully dusty decomposed Granite Paardeberg minerality. With more in common with fresher vintages, there are no oily, lanolin nuances yet but rather fresher lemon and lime white citrus characters, Japanese green tea and a crystalline brightness with pinpoint purity. Seamless and harmonious in the mouth, the sleek lemon citrus intensity is pure and bright, supported by an incredibly well integrated tangy acidity that adds frame and definition to the long, stony, mineral finish. The oak influence is imperceptible and the focus and carry on the finish is mouthwatering and moreish. A fabulous wine that underlines the concentration and fruit power of the 2023 vintage in the Swartland. Drink from 2026 to 2038+. 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW