Peacock Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc
£10.99
£14.65 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Out of Stock
90Stephen Brook
88Jasper Morris MW
86Jason Haynes
Want to know why South Africa's Chenin Blanc has the wine world talking? Start here. Wild-fermented, naturally crafted from old Helderberg bushvines, this is a fresh, lifted white with citrus, guava and a savoury edge. Serious winemaking at a weeknight price, delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We taste a lot of affordable Chenin, and most of it is pleasant but forgettable. This one stays with you. What sets it apart is the genuine wild-ferment character and that long lees texture, the kind of thing you usually pay double for. It's the bottle we reach for when someone says South African whites are all the same and we want to prove them wrong. Perfect for curious drinkers and anyone who loves a food-friendly white with real backbone. Stock moves quickly on this one, so don't wait if you're tempted.
Tasting Notes
Ripe citrus and fresh guava lift from the glass, threaded with a wild thyme savouriness that hints at the fynbos-covered slopes it comes from. The palate is bright and lifted, with a gently honeyed core of orchard and stone fruit that keeps it generous rather than lean. Taut, mouth-watering acidity runs straight through the middle, and six months on lees adds a subtle creamy weight. The finish is crisp, vibrant and savoury, leaving you reaching for the next sip.
About This Wine
Here's the thing about South African Chenin Blanc: the best examples cost a small fortune, and then there's this one. Peacock Wild Ferment punches so far above its price that you'll want to keep the discovery to yourself. The grapes come from old bushvine vineyards on the Helderberg, on the coastal edge of Stellenbosch, where vines of twenty to fifty years have long since found their natural balance. You can taste it. Ripe citrus and guava on the nose, a whisper of wild thyme, then a palate that's fresh and lifted, with gently honeyed fruit held in check by taut, mouth-watering acidity. The finish is crisp, vibrant and properly savoury. This is real winemaking, not a recipe. Hand-harvested fruit, whole-bunch pressed for only the finest juice, then a spontaneous wild-yeast fermentation in old 600-litre barrels and concrete eggs, followed by a good stretch on lees for texture and depth. Nothing added but a touch of sulphur. It's also a vegan-friendly wine. Wonderfully versatile at the table: pour it with creamy chicken, slow-cooked pork belly, or a proper spaghetti carbonara. It makes a thoughtful gift for any Cape wine lover, and we ship it to your door anywhere in the UK, usually within a few days.
Food Pairing
This is a brilliantly versatile food wine. The honeyed fruit loves creamy chicken dishes and a classic spaghetti carbonara, while the taut acidity cuts cleanly through the richness of slow-roasted pork belly. It is equally happy alongside fresh pasta, grilled white fish, or a Sunday roast chicken with all the trimmings.
- —Creamy chicken and tarragon casserole
- —Slow-roasted pork belly with crackling
- —Spaghetti carbonara
- —Roast chicken with lemon and herbs
- —Grilled sea bass with fennel
How to Serve
Decanting
No decanting needed. If you have time, let it sit in the glass for ten minutes as it warms slightly, when the honeyed fruit and savoury herb notes really open and broaden.
Behind the Wine
On the coastal fringes of Stellenbosch, where False Bay sends cool air across the Helderberg and Schapenberg slopes, Chenin Blanc ripens slowly and keeps its nerve. Warm, dry, breezy summers limit disease pressure and let the old bushvines find their own balance, so the fruit comes in fully flavoured but with acidity intact. That is the secret here: ripe citrus and guava generosity held tight by a fresh, savoury line that runs right through the wine.
Ageing Potential
Made in a fresh, earlier-drinking style, this is at its best on release and over the following two to three years. The taut acidity and lees texture give it the structure to hold and gain a little weight over the short to medium term, but there is no need to wait.
About the Producer
False Bay
False Bay Vineyards is the more accessible sibling to Waterkloof, the celebrated biodynamic estate on the Schapenberg slopes. Both belong to Paul Boutinot, a winemaker who came south chasing a simple idea: that genuinely characterful wine shouldn't cost a fortune. False Bay was built to prove the point. Working with mature, naturally balanced vineyards along the cool Cape coast, the team can let the grapes do most of the talking, fermenting with wild yeasts, intervening only when absolutely necessary. The wines are made by Waterkloof's cellarmaster Nadia Barnard, whose deft hand keeps everything precise and honest. It's old-school craft at an unusually friendly price.