The brandnetel (Urtica dioica ) or stinging nettle,is steeped in dualities: both fierce and soft; painful and restorative; tenacious yet humble. This unique wine, made from Chenin Blanc vines perched on the slopes overlooking Stellenbosch, serves as a reminder that magic is woven into every life from the soil to the glass. The vineyard was planted in 1980 and is a living library of historical rootstocks with over 33 different rootstocks in this old experimental plot.  The sandstone soils with deep clay is so well draining that the vines shoot their roots deep in search for water and nutrients, giving concentration to the wine. The maritime influence lends a beautiful salinity to the wine.

The grapes were handpicked, delicately whole-bunch pressed and naturally fermented. Only the free run juice was fermented in third-pass French oak barrels. The lees was stirred for the first month, after which the wine was allowed to mature on the lees for 9 months prior to bottling with just a small dosage of sulfur. No fining or filtering.

Tasting Notes: Lifted notes of quince, white peach, and blood orange lead into a poised, Chenin Blanc–driven palate with generous texture and taut, citrus-bright acidity. A maritime salinity shapes a more linear, mineral expression, carrying through to a clean, subtly savory finish.