Today I met up with Swartland young gun Ryan Mostert and Samantha Suddons from the Silvervis – Terracura winery. Shaped in many ways by his days working as the assistant winemaker at Reyneke, Ryan still very much has an eye on minimalist, non-intervention winemaking where purity and cleanliness in the wines are never compromised. 

Ryan thrives on pushing boundaries and few wines on the South African, indeed the global market, push the wine making norms like that of the Smiley NV Chenin Blanc. Whether the wine came about by accident or not, it’s third release marks a change where the wines purity, clarity and stylistic confidence come to the fore.

Smiley NV v3 (Version 3) Swartland Chenin Blanc, 12.5 Abv.

Slightly smokey straw yellow, touch opaque. The aromatics are fresh, citric and vibrant, showing saline, sea breeze and oyster shell notes which currently dominate the lemon lime white citrus fruits. Production is now up to 7,500 bottles of this, the 3rd non-vintage release. There’s a fascinating lime pith and red cherry stone fruit exotic note that develops. The palate entry is taught and linear with dusty briney minerality, alka seltzer and granitic wet stone terroir notes. The finish is textured and zippy and continues to unfurl with more and more complexity until it eventually ends with a tangerine pith, dried herbs, and a wet slate punch. What impressive complexity, palate texture and of course value for money. Funky Swartland kit at its very best! 

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW) 

The Chenin Blanc for this wine is sourced from vineyards in the Siebrietskloof and Joubertskloof in the Paardeberg. So basically all on granitic soils. The 2017 blend is made up of 50% of 2017, 35% of 2016, 10% of 2015, with the balance from 2014. The 4 components consist of a barrel fermented portion, a “son wyn” (Sun wine) maderised portion (from 2014), a flor component from demijohns, and a skin contact portion that forms 50% of the final blend.

This truly is one of South Africa’s most profound wines. If you’re a wine merchant, your clients would love to indulge themselves in this wine. For sommeliers… well, this has to be a dream come true wine, with such salinity, fresh vibrant complexity and food friendly options. Either way, it’s a must try wine.

(Recommended Retail from £16-18 per bottle)