HOW TIMES have changed since the days when wine lovers regarded Alvi's Drift as a producer of sweet Muscat – a good one, but little else from the Alfalfa estate and dairy farm. Decades later, they still offer a lovely dessert wine, however the Worcester outfit has become known mainly for good-value reds and whites at around R100 a bottle as well as, more recently, their very finest, premium-priced wines under the labels Albertus Viljoen and Verreaux. Particularly successful has been the Chenin Blanc in the Albertus Viljoen range, with the best of the Van der Merwe family's Chenin harvest now a regular favourite of the critics.
The current-release 2022 vintage of Albertus Viljoen Chenin was among the Top 10 in South Africa's 2023 Chenin Blanc Challenge, a Wine of the Year at the country's 2024 National Wine Challenge and scored 95 points at the inaugural Fine Wine Awards.
ALVI'S DRIFT ALBERTUS VILJOEN CHENIN BLANC 2022
WO Scherpenheuwel-Worcester. Vintage of mild weather conditions. Grapes hand-selected from 25- to 48-year-old vineyards in the early morning, then whole-bunch-pressed. Free-run juice fermented using both wild and cultured yeast in French oak barrels, where the wine was matured on the lees (yeast sediment) for 12 months with regular bâtonage (stirring of the lees) before barrel selection and blending.
Alc 13.4 | RS 4.6 | TA 6.7 | pH 3.2
From Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Pale straw in colour; intense aromas of vanilla, spice and creamy butter. Notes of peach and lemon, perfumed with hints of honeycomb. Medium-bodied wine balanced with a creamy texture and lingering aftertaste – a refreshing lime finish.
Cellaring Potential: Can be enjoyed on release or matured for eight years or more after vintage.
Pairing Suggestion: Serve with brie or chevre (goat's milk cheese) and herbs, roast butternut quiche, Tuscan-style grilled chicken, roast duck, chicken korma curry.
R299pb ex-cellar.
