2025 Badenhorst - Curator White Blend (750ml)

A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines is run by cousins Hein and Adi Badenhorst, who grew up in Constantia, where their grandfather spent forty-six years as farm manager of Groot Constantia and their own fathers were born and farmed together. The cousins eventually took over Kalmoesfontein, a farm in the Swartland's Paardeberg mountain, restoring a cellar that had sat unused since the 1930s to make wine in a natural, traditional style. Adi Badenhorst has become one of the key figures, alongside Eben Sadie, in putting Swartland on the international wine map, known for an outspoken personality that comes through in his wines as much as in his interviews. The Curator range was conceived as a more accessible, ever-changing lineup, assembled each vintage from whatever parcels in Adi's cellar best suit the blend.

This white blend leans on Chenin Blanc for its backbone, rounded out with Chardonnay and Viognier sourced from old bushvines grown in granite and slate soils across the Swartland, farmed by a number of traditional growers Adi has worked with for years. The grapes are hand harvested, chilled overnight, and pressed to settling tanks before a slow, natural fermentation; the Chardonnay in particular takes an unusually long time to finish, developing distinctive texture along the way.

The wine shows dried peach, apricot, and ripe citrus, layered with a touch of spice. The palate has good length and a lively, textured character all its own. It pairs well with roast chicken, seafood, or spiced vegetable dishes.