Klein Graniet Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Klein Graniet is a five-hectare family estate on the Simonsberg, run by brothers Retief and Stephan du Toit on soils of decomposed granite. Their watchword is simple, Not more. Better. Better fruit, better farming, better wine. It is the sort of small, careful operation where every block is known intimately and nothing is made in a hurry.

This is Sauvignon Blanc from certified old vines, planted around thirty-seven years ago on a cool, north-westerly aspect. Vines of that age crop sparingly but with real depth of flavour, which is exactly what the brothers want. The grapes are picked at first light, pressed straight away to protect freshness, and fermented cool to hold the aromatics. The result aims for a classic, textured Stellenbosch style rather than a simple crowd-pleaser.

2024 was a kind year for South African whites. A cool, wet run-up gave way to a moderate, dry finish, and Sauvignon Blanc was one of the varieties that thrived, ripe and fresh in equal measure. Stellenbosch whites from the vintage are widely tipped to be excellent, with plenty of texture and mouthfeel, just what an old-vine wine like this wants.

Pale straw in the glass with a faint green tint. The nose is expressive, all Cape gooseberry, passion fruit and lime, with a pretty floral edge. Those flavours carry onto the palate, where a fresh acidity meets a genuinely textured mouthfeel. It is vibrant and refined, with good concentration and length rather than a quick, sharp hit. Serve well chilled, and enjoy over the next couple of years.

Where a lot of Sauvignon Blanc is made to be drunk and forgotten, this old-vine version asks to be taken a little more seriously. Think of it next to a textured Loire white or a top Cape Sauvignon, food-friendly and grown-up. It suits everything from a weekday supper to a relaxed lunch with friends, and it quietly proves what old vines can bring to the glass.