Chenin Blanc, Ava, 2024
Fuller bodied as usual compared to the Noa, the Ava Chenin is a beautifully layered, even-keeled Chenin that in youth feels closer in style to the Noa this year. Inevitably, bottle ageing will reveal their differences – the schist profile of the Ava Chenin lending a typically softer, hay and quince and yellow fruited, almost Chardonnay-esque development as the wine opens up. As always, beautifully measured and accomplished, it is aged in used oak barrique for almost a year.
critic reviews
The Rall 2024 Swartland Chenin Blanc Ava reflects a shift in harvest timing to achieve a tighter and more focused profile. Oxidation is remarkably stable in this vintage, giving the wine a restrained and controlled expression that will require time to evolve. Gorgeous yet currently reserved, it promises depth beneath its quiet exterior. The decomposed granite soils of Swartland often yield Chenin Blancs with both breadth and structure, yet in this case, the wine is deliberately held back, emphasizing tension over immediate generosity. The Noa is more showy at this stage, but Ava needs more bottle time to fully realize its beautiful potential.
The 2024 Chenin Ava is naturally fermented and aged in 400-litre older French oak. This has a delectable bouquet with lanolin, walnut and light dried honey aromas that blossom in the glass. Fine delineation. The palate is very well balanced with ample weight, gorgeous waxy texture, with an assiduous dash of spice on the finish. It displays just the right amount of tension and sapidity to have you going back for more.