Geographica Wines is a premium wine project by acclaimed winemaker Chris Williams (Foundry Wines), focusing on site-specific, terroir-driven wines from exceptional Stellenbosch vineyards, like old-vine Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, often using traditional clay vessels (dolia) for maturation to express unique vineyard character and place, offering intense, balanced wines. 

Chris skipped the 2021 vintage of the Bonsai Chenin Blanc, and this vintage comes from a new vineyard site. While the vineyard has changed, the wine retains the signature Bonsai character you love. Expect vibrant aromas of ripe peach and apricot, a luxuriously viscous texture with a pleasant, grainy grip, and an overall exceptional drinking experience.

Hand harvested and cooled overnight, this was wholebunch pressed, very gently, directly to seasoned French oak barrels, terracotta eggs and dolia. The fermentation started spontaneously and at 15 degrees balling a neutral yeast was introduced to complete the fermentation. Elevage for 10 months on lees before racking and bottling.

Tasting Notes: shows a luminous pale lemon hue with a hint of green. On the nose the wine displays an intense stone fruit, quince, ginger, yellow apple and stony minerality. Constantly evolving in the glass the wine takes on a savoury saline aroma, subtle nuttiness and gunflint. The palate is almost overwhelmingly intense and rich, balanced by an energetic acidity and dense fruit weight. There is a pithy phenolic midpalate giving volume and structure and the wine finishes pleasingly long

From a Helderberg vineyard planted in 1957, this was matured for 10 months in a mix of old oak, terracotta egg, and dolium (a large amphora). The nose reveals pear, peach, lemon, herbs, and a hint of reduction, while the palate is sumptuous and sexy – weight and creaminess in part due to some residual sugar, the acidity nicely coated, the finish gently savoury. Alc: 12.95%. CE’s rating: 94/100.

ANALYSIS: ALC 12.95% | TA 5.8g/l | PH. 3.18 | RS 3.6g/l