Soutbos

One could argue that Ian Naude is a sucker for punishment. Though, he would probably blame Rosa Kruger or perhaps his friend and fellow winemaker Sakkie Mouton for many of his recent wine adventures, but every time he is introduced to a new Old Vine vineyard, you can practically hear the cogs turning, the bells ringing and the whistles tweeting in his head. He swore he was done with white blends after his last expression was bottled in 2010. But sometimes, when you inadvertently discover an incredibly exciting synergy or harmonious partnership like the one that exits between Old Vine Chenin Blanc and Colombard, all bets are off.

I travelled up the West Coast with Ian Naude in October 2022, the beginning of the 2023 vintage, and saw some of the incredibly exciting Old Vine Chenin Blanc and Colombard vineyards that inspired Ian on his new white blend journey. Even I wanted to buy some of these grapes and start making wine again!

Very old, gracefully gnarled and outstandingly beautiful, the vineyards of Vredendal and Koekenaap are finally receiving the adoration they have missed out on for the past 30 years. Ian’s new white blend is yet another celebration of this incredibly characterful, austere, coastal terroir.

Naude Family Wines Soutbos White Blend 2023, WO Western Cape, 12% Abv.

1.76g/l RS | 6.07g/l TA | 3.44pH

This stunning new white blend from Naude Family Wines represents the culmination of many years of work Ian Naude has spent constructing and perfecting intricate, complex and age worthy white blends. More latterly, Ian has built an iconic reputation for some of the most eye-catching Old Vine Chenin Blancs produced in South Africa before moving his attention to championing Old Vine Colombard vineyards up the West Coast. This new white draws on all Ian’s experience and expertise to assemble an incredibly fresh, tight knit, minerally driven white wine. A blend of 83% Chenin Blanc from a vineyard planted in 1988 and 17% Colombard from a vineyard planted in 1985, has seen Ian create his first new white blend since 2010 from these two noble West Coast Vredendal vineyards.

Crystalline and fresh in the glass, the aromatics show incredibly subtle notes of lemon peel zest, grapefruit, white peach, honeydew melon and Granny Smith apples with underlying hints of dried guava roll, sweet herbs and cream soda rock candy. Fresh, intense and mouth coating, this is an intriguing white blend that combines the vibrancy and exuberance of Old Vine Colombard with the more herbal, mineral and textural aspects of Chenin Blanc. Undoubtedly, the standout features remain the incredible balance, seamless texture and maritime kelpy salinity. Like all of Ian’s red and white wines, his attention to detail is simply extraordinary, marking this white blend as one of the most exciting and thought-provoking new releases on the South African white wine landscape since possibly the launch of Eben Sadie’s Old Vine Skerpioen. Drink and enjoy its freshness on release and revisit over the next 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)