Celestina represents a deeply personal project by famous Cape Town wine personality Caroline Rillema, a legendary figure in the South African wine industry and the founder of the renowned Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar in Cape Town. Situated in the cool-climate Cape Agulhas region near Baardskeerdersbos, this little boutique estate is among the smallest and most intimate wine projects in the Western Cape.  

For years, Caroline Rillema has served as a tastemaker and curator for the finest wines in the Cape and with Celestina, she brings that refined expertise and talent to the vineyard. Since its first vintage in 2009, Celestina has been celebrated as a noteworthy expression of its unique southern coastal terroir. This signature wine is an elegant white, being an equal parts blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, that perfectly captures the distinct grassiness, minerality and salinity of the cool, coastal maritime climate of the Agulhas Wine Triangle. 

While the wine was historically crafted in collaboration with neighbouring cellars, a significant milestone was reached in 2023 when the first vintage was vinified entirely in Caroline’s own on-site cellar. Caroline kindly forwarded me a sample of both the 2023 and the 2024 to taste and review on my recent trip to Cape Town and this transition highlights the evolution of the Celestina brand from a passion project into a focused, small-scale production of exceptional artisanal quality. For Caroline, the Celestina project is more than just a bottle of ‘hobby project’ wine, it is a testament to a lifetime spent in the company of great South African winemakers and fine wine.

Celestina Agulhas White 2024, WO Cape Agulhas, 13.5% Abv. 

A beautifully bright, crystalline pale canary yellow colour, the aromatics on this 2024 are stunningly pure, fresh and vibrant, bristling with all the maritime energy you would expect, or at least hope for, from a premium Cape Agulhas coastal white. Never prickly, simply zippy and spicy, the aromatics are seamlessly layered with gooseberry, greengage, lemon grass, lemon peel and delicately savoury, mineral nuances. The palate boasts an energy and fruit concentration that bursts out the glass – tangy, unctuous, and beautifully intense. This vintage is definitely more intense and decidedly punchier than the 2023 and is an admirable addition to the cool climate coastal repertoire of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon whites from the Agulhas region. If you are looking for more than primary Sauvignon Blanc, this is your medicine! Drink on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years. 

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)