2024 Tarragon Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Spice Route

• Style: Dry, fruit-driven white
• Taste: Tropical stone fruit, citrus snap, creamy oak depth
• Food: Shellfish, goat cheese, roasted chicken, Asian spice
• Occasion: Weeknight or Sunday lunch
• Serve: Chilled, 8–10°C

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Pineapple and ripe peach from old vines meet a creamy mouthfeel built by eight months in French oak, then a snap of lemon and lime peel that refuses to let the wine become heavy. At 13.5% abv and bone-dry, it's a serious dry white that drinks with both generosity and restraint.

The Winery — Spice Route

Founded in 1998, Spice Route helped transform the Swartland from a rural overlooked area into one of South Africa's most respected wine destinations. Winemaker Charl du Plessis, who has worked alongside producer Charles Back for fifteen years, champions a hands-off philosophy that captures the terroir rather than drowning it in extraction. Tarragon pulls fruit from 1978-planted vines on a south-east slope where koffieklip soils—decomposed granite and iron-rich clay—concentrate flavour in small, thick-skinned berries. Hand-harvested and destemmed, the juice fermented in 500L French oak (just 12% new) over eight months, a measured approach that lets the wine's saline minerality and fruit character breathe.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Pair this with shellfish, goat cheese, roasted chicken with herbs, or Asian-spiced dishes where citrus plays a role; the acidity and dry structure make it equally at home on the dinner table as on a summer afternoon. The 2024 vintage gifted moderate conditions and coastal breezes that kept the fruit ripe while preserving the natural acidity that defines this wine's character. Vegan-friendly too. If you're exploring our Chenin Blanc selections, this sits alongside some of the finest expressions of the variety we've found. Browse the rest of our South Africa range to discover what else this remarkable region has to offer, or dive deeper into the Swartland itself.