Angus Paul Barbary Fictions Chenin Blanc 2023

SOUTH AFRICA : STELLENBOSCH : BOTTELARYNATURAL : Chenin BlancMED-BODIED, GREEN APPLE, LEMON ZEST, SALINE MINERAL, LEESY, NO OAKA single hilltop vineyard on the Mooiplaas farm, planted in 1972, 300 meters above sea level in Bottelary's granite soils — this is the source. Cool Table Bay winds blow through the fynbos and up into the old vines, slowing ripening and holding the acidity that makes Stellenbosch Chenin distinct from its flatter, warmer neighbors.Angus Paul makes this wine with nothing added: whole-bunch pressed, native yeast, neutral oak, no sulphur until just before bottling. Eleven months in barrel, no racking, no fining. The wine is leesy and reductive on opening; give it 15 minutes and it becomes something else — saline, granitic, and precise in the way only old vine Chenin can be. WineMag's Christian Eedes gave the previous vintage 93 points. At $24, it's hard to argue.PAIRINGS : Oysters on the half shell the saline mineral character is almost engineered for brine Grilled swordfish with herbs medium body and citrus hold up to firm fish without overpowering it Chèvre and honey on sourdough waxy texture and leesy depth play perfectly against fresh goat's milk cheese

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