Franschhoek, South Africa

Chamomile, grapefruit and greengages greet you on the nose, and as it opens, you’re transported to somewhere in the tropics. Lilac and bergamot, developing on to the palate to pineapple and honeydew melon with some herbaceous notes and a racy oyster shell acidity on the finish. Like a great Bordeaux Blanc from Graves, this will benefit from a little time in bottle, and will surely develop beautifully in the next few years, taking on more weight and those sought after notes of lanolin and baked apples.

Just over 80% Sauvignon Blanc with the remainder Semillon Gris, picked from their estate vineyard planted on sandy soils by the Franschhoek tasting room. Fermented in old oak, and aged for just under two years with a portion of new French.

“Shiner” is the proclaimed “world’s most badass wine.; the “working class man of the Paserene family.” It may be their more entry level wine, but it’s certainly still pretty serious, with all the same love and effort put in to production and high quality fruit that you would expect from Martin. Chapter 1 was made in the 2016 vintage, and was a Bordeaux red blend, whilst this is a Bordeaux white blend. Each release will see a new chapter and a new wine!

Paserene is a joint venture between winemaker Martin Smith and businessman Ndabe Mareda, their goal is to produce fine wines that are truly authentic to the place and people that made them. They call both Franschhoek and Tulbagh home, with a beautiful tasting room and some vineyards in the much loved foodie town of Franschhoek, and a recently purchased farm in the lesser known region of Tulbagh. It is here where self confessed Cabernet junkie Martin sees the greatest potential for the grape in the Cape, and where they are planting for the future.

The name derives from the Latin Passeriformes, the type of bird that includes swifts, swallows and martins; all birds that follow the epic migration from Europe to South Africa, representing the often travelled route by young winemakers gaining experience abroad before returning to their home country.