2024 Bot River Sauvignon Blanc, Gabriëlskloof

• Style: Bone-dry, vibrant Sauvignon Blanc
• Taste: Blackcurrant leaf, citrus, flint, lime with saline snap
• Food: Asparagus, goat cheese, shellfish, soft-shell crab
• Occasion: Weeknight, summer drinking, aperitivo
• Serve: Chilled, now through 2027

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Vibrant and bone-dry, this lifted wine rewards the cold glass immediately. Expect trademark saline snap over lychee and pineapple, anchored by a tangy lime core and wild blackcurrant-leaf bite. The 2024 vintage, shaped by generous spring rain that cut yields sharply, delivers concentrated ripeness balanced against vibrant freshness. Acidity at 6.1g/L keeps everything dancing on the palate; seven months on the lees has rounded the edges without softening the mineral spine.

The Winery — Gabriëlskloof

Gabriëlskloof is a beautiful estate in the Overberg region east of Cape Town, purchased in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns after years searching for the ideal vineyard site. His first vintage arrived in 2009. Peter-Allan Finlayson, Bernhard's son-in-law, became winemaker from 2015 onwards and now serves as Cellar Master and general manager. The farm spans 178 hectares with 68 planted to vine, farmed sustainably with full-time vineyard consultant Rosa Kruger and a clear ambition to achieve organic certification. These grapes come from seven vineyard plots across the estate, planted on rocky sandstone and shale between 200–600 metres altitude, with half facing south-west and half east. Peter-Allan fermented each plot separately in stainless steel using indigenous yeast, then married them together—an approach reflecting the estate's philosophy of sustainable viticulture in pursuit of clarity and authenticity.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is effortless drinking wine for weeknight meals and summer entertaining alike. Chill it for asparagus, goat cheese, or soft-shell crab; it pairs beautifully with white fish, oily fish, shellfish, and vegetarian dishes. The 2024 will drink wonderfully now and over the next two to three years as that citrus stays bright and the minerality deepens. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly, it belongs alongside our other Light & Crispy White Wine offerings from cooler climates. Discover why South Africa crafts some of the world's finest Sauvignon Blanc.