Coterie by Wildeberg Chenin Blanc Grenache Blanc
£14.99
£19.99 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 12 bottles available
Old-vine Franschhoek Chenin meets younger Paarl Grenache Blanc in a white blend that feels properly grown-up. Ripe white peach and apricot lifted by jasmine and a flicker of white spice, with that hallmark Cape texture running through the finish. Naturally fermented, gently oaked, and just the thing for a long, slow lunch.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We've poured a lot of Cape white blends over the years, and Coterie is one of the few in this price bracket that genuinely tastes like it should cost more. The 1962 Franschhoek Chenin gives it real backbone, that old-vine grip you can't fake, and the Grenache Blanc lifts the whole thing into something more interesting than a straight varietal could manage. It's the wine we reach for when someone says they want a white with a bit of substance but doesn't fancy Chardonnay. A small allocation comes our way each year, and it tends to move quickly.
Tasting Notes
White peach and ripe apricot lead on the nose, lifted by a delicate jasmine perfume that hints at the Grenache Blanc component. The palate is generous and textured, that's the forty-year-old Franschhoek Chenin doing its work, giving weight and a lanolin-like grip, while the Grenache Blanc weaves through with white spice and an exotic, almost orange-blossom note. The finish is rich but never heavy, held in line by a saline, mouth-watering freshness that keeps you reaching for the next sip.
White peach & apricot
Ripe orchard fruit fills the glass, sun-warmed white peach and soft apricot, the kind of generous fruit only old Chenin bush vines deliver.
Jasmine lift
A floral, almost perfumed top note from the Grenache Blanc, jasmine and orange blossom that gives the wine its alluring, exotic edge.
White spice
A whisper of ginger and white pepper threads through the palate, adding intrigue and making the wine feel restless rather than rich.
About This Wine
Here's a white that quietly proves what South Africa does better than almost anyone: take old-vine Chenin Blanc, give it a clever blending partner, and let the vineyards do the talking. Coterie by Wildeberg pairs 65% Chenin from a Franschhoek block planted in 1962 with 35% Grenache Blanc from younger Paarl vines. The Chenin brings the texture and tension; the Grenache Blanc throws in the jasmine, the white spice, the exotic lift.
On the nose, ripe white peach and apricot, with those floral notes drifting through. The palate is where it really earns its keep, generous and broad from the old bush vines, then tightened by a fresh, mineral seam that keeps everything in line. Both components were fermented naturally and aged six months in seasoned 600-litre French oak barrels, so there's no obvious wood character, just a quiet roundness that softens the edges.
This is a wine that wants food. Try it with a gentle Cape Malay fish curry, a Thai green curry, anything with lemongrass and coriander, or a piece of linefish straight off the braai. It also handles a roast chicken Sunday lunch with real grace.
Delivered across the UK, and a smart pick if you're sending something thoughtful to a friend who knows their Chenin, the kind of bottle they'll text you about after the first glass.
Food Pairing
This is a wine built for spice and texture. The body handles a gentle Thai green curry beautifully, while the jasmine notes echo lemongrass and coriander in the dish. It loves anything off the barbecue with a bit of char, whole sea bass with herbs, or grilled prawns with lime. Roast chicken with tarragon is a quieter, equally rewarding match.
- —Thai green fish curry with lemongrass and coriander
- —Cape Malay chicken curry with yellow rice
- —Whole barbecued sea bass with herbs and lemon
- —Roast chicken with tarragon and crème fraîche
- —Grilled tiger prawns with chilli, garlic and lime
How to Serve
Temperature
Lightly chilled, not fridge-cold. Half an hour in the fridge from room temperature, or pull it out twenty minutes before pouring.
Decanting
No need to decant, but don't be afraid to. Pouring into a jug or carafe half an hour before serving lets the jasmine and white spice notes really emerge, too cold and they stay locked in.
Glass
A medium-bowled white wine glass or a Burgundy-style glass, the texture and aromatics need a bit of room to express themselves.
Cellaring
Store on its side in a cool, dark place at a steady 10-14°C. Will hold and develop for three to five years from release under proper conditions.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drinking beautifully right now, but there's plenty in reserve. The old-vine Chenin backbone will carry this for another three to four years in a cool, dark spot, and up to five if you've got proper cellar conditions. Expect the fruit to deepen towards honey and beeswax as the floral notes settle.
The Land
The Chenin comes from a low-yielding Franschhoek vineyard planted in 1962, old bush vines that dig deep, ripen slowly, and deliver concentration and texture in small quantities. The Grenache Blanc comes from younger plantings in Paarl, where warmer slopes and arid soils coax out the variety's natural perfume of jasmine and white spice.
The Winemaking
Both components ferment naturally on their own wild yeasts in 600-litre French oak barrels, then settle there for six months on lees. The barrels are second and third fill, so there's no fresh oak shouting over the fruit, just gentle breathing room, soft texture-building, and a touch of spice. Coarse filtration only, keeping the wine's natural shape intact. It's a quiet, hands-off approach designed to let the vineyards speak.
About the Producer
Wildeberg
Franschhoek has been making wine for 350 years, so it takes something a little unusual to still find fresh ground. Wildeberg found it on a high, wild slope above the valley, on a former equestrian farm that had never seen a vine before it was planted in recent years. That's rare in a region this storied, and it means Wildeberg is working with genuinely new terroir rather than inherited vineyards.
The wines are made by JD Rossouw, who grew up surrounded by Franschhoek's oldest vineyards and clearly absorbed something from them, working alongside the more experienced Ryno Booysen. It's a small team by design, and that shows in the focus of what they make: terroir-driven wines from the broader Coastal region, built around a clear idea rather than a long list of labels.
Wildeberg calls itself a wild mountain winery, founded by a group of idealists rather than an investment fund with a marketing plan, and that comes through in the wines themselves. The flagship range, Coterie, takes its name from the idea of a circle of friends with shared interests, which fits a small operation making wine on its own terms. Within that range sits a Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc blend and the Meteorique Blanc de Blancs, both wines that lean into Coastal character rather than smoothing it out.
We stock Wildeberg because it's a genuinely new chapter in a region we thought we knew well. Franschhoek regulars will find something unexpected here, and anyone curious about where South African wine is heading next has a good place to start. Delivered across the UK, it's an easy way to taste a brand-new corner of an old wine valley.