2022 Chenin Blanc/Verdelho, Momento

• Style: Mineral-driven South African white
• Taste: Stone fruit, green apple, wet stone minerality, saline grapefruit
• Food: Oysters, grilled scallops, shellfish, fresh seafood
• Occasion: Sunday Lunch; Date Night
• Serve: Chilled, 13% ABV, bone-dry

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Swirl this mineral-driven blend and you're met with pure freshness: quince and white peach emerge alongside saline grapefruit skin and hay, anchored by wet stone precision. The interplay between the old-vine Chenin Blanc's generosity and Verdelho's crisp spine delivers richness from decomposed granite soils, cut through by Atlantic-influenced texture and focus. Bone-dry at 13% alcohol with just 1.8g/L residual sugar, this is the kind of white that rewards a chilled glass on its own.

The Winery — Momento

Marelise Niemann's solo project grew from a deep passion for Mediterranean varieties and old-vine fruit. After building her reputation alongside South Africa's finest winemakers—Peter-Allan Finlayson and John Thorne-Seccombe among them—and working across California, Rhône, Burgundy and Portugal, she returned to pursue her vision for elegant, soulful wines. Her minimalist cellar approach lets the vineyard speak: whole bunch pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation in older oak, and ten months of lees contact created depth without fanfare. The challenging 2022 vintage—marked by summer heat spikes—was met with an early harvest decision that preserved the very acidity and freshness defining this wine's character. Bottled without fining, it's vegan and vegetarian.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This wine truly comes alive alongside oysters, grilled scallops, or any briny seafood, making it superb for leisurely Sunday lunches and intimate date nights. Chill it well and serve immediately for maximum freshness, though it's patient enough to age gently. Exploring our Chenin Blanc selection? This sits among the finest modern expressions we've found—proof that South African whites deserve the same reverence as their European cousins.