Alvi's Drift Rondebosch Chenin Blanc
£12.59
£16.79 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Out of Stock
If you think great Chenin Blanc has to cost a fortune, this one will happily prove you wrong. From the Breede River Valley comes a bright, juicy white bursting with peach, apricot and a twist of orange peel, finished with zippy citrus freshness. Brilliant chilled on a warm afternoon, and easy on the wallet too.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Our Verdict
We rate Alvi's Drift as one of the smartest value buys in our South African white range, and the Rondebosch Chenin is exactly why. There is real precision here for the money: generous stone fruit, a honeyed core, then an acidity that keeps it lively rather than soft, which is not a given at this price. We love it as a no-fuss house white for anyone who wants quality without overthinking it, and as an easy introduction for anyone yet to discover what Cape Chenin can do. We tend to keep modest quantities, so if it is in stock, do not leave it too long.
Tasting Notes
Pale straw in the glass and bright as you like. The nose leads with ripe peach and apricot, lifted by a twist of orange peel that promises freshness rather than weight. On the palate it turns silky and rounded, with a gentle thread of honey running through the stone fruit, just enough to soften the edges without tipping into sweetness. Zippy acidity keeps everything taut, and the citrus carries long into a clean, mouth-watering finish that leaves you reaching for the next sip.
About This Wine
Here is a wine that does the hard work for you. Pour it well chilled and you get an immediate hit of ripe peach and apricot, a flash of orange peel, and a gentle thread of honey running through the middle. The palate is silky and rounded, then those bright, zippy acids sweep in and leave everything clean and refreshing. It is the kind of glass that disappears faster than you planned. Chenin Blanc is South Africa's calling card, and Alvi's Drift is one of the names that proves why. The grapes grow in the warm, sun-soaked Breede River Valley, where cool night-time breezes and water from the river keep the fruit fresh and aromatic. This is an unwooded style, so there is no oak getting in the way: just clean, fruit-driven flavour built from premium free-run juice, cold-fermented and rested on its lees for a softer, fuller mouthfeel. Food-wise, it loves anything light and fresh from the sea. Think crab salad, ceviche, a platter of sushi, or simply grilled white fish with lemon. It is also a lovely aperitif on its own. We ship across the UK, usually within a few days, so whether it is for a midweek supper, a summer lunch in the garden, or a thoughtful gift for a Chenin-loving friend, it is an easy bottle to say yes to.
Food Pairing
This is built for fresh, light seafood. Pour it alongside a crab and avocado salad, a plate of citrus-cured ceviche, or a tray of fresh sushi and sashimi where the zippy acidity cuts cleanly through. It also shines next to grilled prawns with lemon, or a simple goats' cheese salad on a warm afternoon. Serve it well chilled and let the fruit do the talking.
- —Crab and avocado salad with lemon
- —Citrus-cured sea bass ceviche
- —Fresh salmon and tuna sushi
- —Grilled prawns with garlic and lemon
- —Goats' cheese and herb salad
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant. This unwooded, fruit-driven style is at its best poured straight from a well-chilled bottle, where the peach and citrus aromatics show brightest.
Behind the Wine
Worcester sits in a rain shadow, ringed by mountains that trap the heat and keep the days hot and dry. What saves the freshness in this Chenin is the cool air that rolls down at night, slowing things just enough to lock in acidity and aromatic lift. Irrigation drawn from the Breede River and Brandvlei Dam keeps the vines balanced through the dry summers, so the fruit ripens evenly. That rhythm of warm days and cool nights is exactly why you taste bright peach, citrus and a clean, zippy finish.
Ageing Potential
Made to be enjoyed young and fresh. Drink it on release and over the next two to three years while the peach, citrus and honeyed notes are at their most vibrant. This is not a wine to cellar; its charm is its bright, immediate freshness.
The Land
The Alvi's Drift vineyards spread across a patchwork of soils on the banks of the Breede River, fed by its life-giving water in an otherwise dry, sheltered valley. The fruit is selectively hand-harvested in the cool, early morning hours, and the vines are managed with natural compost made on the farm. That diversity of soil and careful, sustainable farming is what gives the wine its layered character.
The Winemaking
This is Chenin made to taste of fruit, nothing else getting in the way. Only the free-run juice is used, the gentlest pressing, before the clarified juice is fermented cold to hold onto every bit of peach and citrus aromatics. It then rests on its lees for several months, which is where the silky, rounded mouthfeel comes from, that gentle weave of honey through the fruit. No oak anywhere near it. Just fining and stabilisation before bottling, keeping everything fresh, vibrant and exactly as the grapes intended.
The Western Cape Region
Le Domaine draws its fruit from vineyards scattered across the Western Cape, from coastal sites cooled by Atlantic breezes to warmer inland slopes, all planted between 50 and 300 metres above sea level. This broad sourcing is deliberate. By blending components from different microclimates, the cellar builds a consistent house style that balances the crisp acidity of cooler sites with the ripe generosity of warmer ones. It's the Western Cape's extraordinary diversity captured in a single glass.