2009 Family White Blend

Blend of 10 different varieties including Chenin and Roussanne. Inviting, complex aroma that includes broom and resin and savoury, cedary notes. Reminds me a lot of a Dão white. Some sour apple and pear freshness on the finish. (JH)

Bottled in January, the 2009 Family White Blend is a blend of around ten white varieties that Adi tried his best to remember. We got as far as Chenin Blanc, Grenache Gris, Palomino, Clairette and Semillon, but we might have been there all day. The striking thing about the nose is the definition, for the 2009 shows greater precision than the 2008, whilst the Palomino does indeed impart a sherry-like tincture. The palate is supremely well balanced and demonstrates greater tension and vibrancy than the 2008, as if the grapes are working together, moving in the same direction. It is very focused on the finish and should age beautifully. Drink now-2016+. Adi Badenhorst is a name to drop when it comes to the future of South African wine. Along with Eben Sadie, he has been at the forefront of putting Swartland on the map. On the surface he has a devil-may-care attitude but underneath is a gifted winemaker who now suffuses his wines with that all-important ingredient. Personality. His winery located in Paardeberg, might look a bit cobbled together, but the wines that he vinifies from his 28-hectares of bush vine are individual and uncompromising?and delicious. Importer: Broadbent Selections Inc., San Francisco, Cali. Tel 415-292-8466.