Stellenrust, Stellenbosch Manor Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2022

Even when it's summer, we all sometimes long for a rich and ripe, full-bodied white. This South African Chenin Blanc made from 43-year-old vines is a stunner, glinting green gold in the glass, and then enveloping you in a warm hug of buttery toasty warmth. The seven months in French oak barrels and wild yeast fermentation give a creamy, leesy yeastiness, but it's all in balance, with good freshness and length.