Chenin Blanc, Noa, 2023

With vines on granite soils, the Rall 2023 Swartland Chenin Blanc Noa comes from very old drought-resistant vines planted in 1969. This wine is not marketed as a single-vineyard expression, although that's exactly what it is. With this exceptional creation, vintner Donovan Rall sought to explore the "spirit of granite," as he says. He makes one concrete egg and a production of 1,800 bottles. The vineyard is just over two hectares and is located around the corner from Andrea Mullineux. This wine delivers a more powerful tannic bite that adds a spectacular level of crispness that is transmitted across star fruit, unripe peach and sliced red apple. With old-vine Chenin Blanc, you sometimes get a hint of remoulade or celery root and a hint of bitterness. This wine shows a dry, pithy finish, a telltale sign of old-vine Chenin Blanc. This is the third vintage made. Donovan Rall's youngest daughter, Noa, was born in 2020, and the first vintage of the wine named in her honor was made in 2021. The style is inward-looking and reductive in personality, but it also has a lot of inner energy for long cellar-aging potential. This is one seriously beautiful wine.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2038

date of review 06/2025