Remhoogte Honeybunch 2025

Description

Remhoogte Honeybunch 2025

This exceptional wine is a 100% Chenin Blanc crafted from a registered 37-year-old single vineyard on the steep southwestern slopes of the Simonsberg mountain in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The 2025 vintage benefited from a cooler growing season that allowed for slow ripening and the development of about 5% noble rot, while the vineyard's specific row orientation exposed the grapes to cooling southerly breezes, allowing the morning-sun-exposed bunches to turn a brilliant gold. In the glass, the wine displays a radiant, deep golden hue with excellent clarity and a rich, viscous tear formation. The nose is an intoxicating bouquet of white peach, quince, and ripe mandarin oranges, layered with secondary aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, and ginger, alongside tertiary hints of caramel and its namesake honeycomb. On the palate, this full-bodied and dry white wine coats the mouth with a lush, waxy texture that is perfectly balanced by a bright, briny acidity, delivering flavors of passion fruit, lime, and gentle brioche that lead into a long, distinctly saline finish. The estate employs sustainable farming practices and minimal intervention winemaking, hand-harvesting only the sun-exposed bunches for a 12-hour skin maceration before wild yeast fermentation in older French oak barrels and cement eggs, followed by 50% malolactic fermentation and a full year of maturation on the heavy lees. For food pairings, this Chenin Blanc is a stunning match for pan-seared sea scallops with a citrus beurre blanc, where the wine's bright acidity cuts through the rich sauce, or a classic American roasted Thanksgiving turkey served alongside caramelized root vegetables, as the wine's honeyed orchard fruit notes beautifully complement the savory roasted bird and sweet earthiness of the sides. While major critic scores for the 2025 vintage are still pending, historical vintages consistently earn 93-94 points from publications like Platter's Guide and Wine Advocate, making this an incredibly affordable world-class white wine for its premium caliber.