10 stellar South African Chenins

3. Keermont Riverside Chenin Blanc

Alex Starey has played a blinder here. Planted in 1971, Riverside is the oldest Chenin vineyard on the Keermont farm. Soils here, on the banks of the upper Blaauwklippen River, vary from sandy alluvial plains with river stone to red clay loam. According to Starey, this vineyard delivers very low yields of extraordinarily high-quality fruit year in, year out.

This wine, of which only 1,994 bottles have been produced, was fermented in a combination of new and used French oak barrels and then spent a further 12 months maturing on the lees.