Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc
£9.29
£12.39 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 10 bottles available
A bright, easy-going Cape Chenin with real substance behind the freshness. Zippy citrus, a whisper of honey, and a creamy weight that comes from extended time on the lees. Brilliant value, food-friendly, and exactly the kind of white that makes a Tuesday feel like a small occasion.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
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Our Verdict
We rate this as one of the best-value Chenins we list. Boutinot have been at the heart of the Cape Chenin revival for three decades, and you can taste that experience in the balance here, there's a fleshiness and a length you simply don't expect at this price. We pour it for friends who think they don't like Chenin, and for friends who already know they do. Perfect as an everyday house white, equally at home as a thoughtful gift for someone exploring South African whites for the first time. If you enjoy this, our other Boutinot bottlings are well worth a look.
Tasting Notes
Bright lemon and grapefruit lift from the glass, threaded with a delicate honeyed note that hints at the old bush vines behind it. The palate has real presence, pear and stone fruit carried by a creamy, lees-derived weight that makes the wine feel fuller than its price suggests. Crisp acidity keeps everything taut and refreshing, and the finish is dry, clean, and gently mineral, with a citrus zest lingering after the last sip.
About This Wine
Here's a wine that quietly overdelivers. Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc is the bottle you reach for when you want something fresh and uncomplicated, but with enough character to hold its own at the table. Think lemon zest and green apple, a soft drizzle of honey, and a clean, crisp finish that keeps you coming back for the next sip. The fruit comes from old, unirrigated bush vines planted on sandy loams over granite, the classic Cape soils that give Chenin its distinctive cut and concentration. Vines this age don't need much coaxing; they naturally yield small crops of intensely flavoured fruit. Only the free-run juice is used, fermented in stainless steel and then left on its fine lees for an extended stretch. That's where the texture comes from, a gentle creaminess that lifts this well above your typical entry-level white. Pour it cold for a summer picnic, or open a bottle alongside grilled prawns, a lemony roast chicken, or a Thai green curry. It's the kind of wine that makes weeknight cooking feel a bit more considered, and it'll happily handle a crowd at a Sunday lunch. Produced by Boutinot, the team that helped pioneer the modern Cape Chenin movement, and delivered to your door anywhere in the UK. A genuinely affordable introduction to one of South Africa's greatest grape stories, and a smart house white to keep on hand.
Food Pairing
Built for relaxed eating. This is the bottle you want for a summer picnic, cold roast chicken, a wedge of quiche, a pot of taramasalata. It also handles a midweek fish supper beautifully, whether that's pan-fried sea bass, a fishcake, or a proper portion of fish and chips with plenty of lemon. The crisp acidity cuts through richness without ever fighting the food.
- —Pan-fried sea bass with brown butter and capers
- —Cold roast chicken and potato salad picnic
- —Goat's cheese tart with thyme
- —Fish and chips with malt vinegar
- —Prawn and avocado salad
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant. A quick swirl in the glass is all this wine asks for, the aromatics are bright and forthcoming straight from the bottle.
Ageing & Cellaring
Made for drinking now, while the citrus aromatics and lees-driven freshness are at their most vibrant. There's enough acidity to hold it comfortably for a year or two if a bottle gets forgotten, but there's no reward in waiting, pull the cork and enjoy.
The Land
Sandy loams over granite bedrock, the classic Cape recipe for Chenin Blanc. The vines work dry, no irrigation, forcing their roots deep in search of moisture. Old bush vines naturally self-regulate, keeping yields low and flavour intensity high. The result is fruit with real concentration and a quiet mineral spine running through it.
The Winemaking
Only the free-run juice makes the cut here, the gentlest pressing, no hard squeeze. Fermentation happens on the skins in stainless steel, locking in that bright citrus lift and keeping everything fresh and unadorned. Then comes the real trick: extended time on fine lees. That's where the magic happens, building texture, weight and a subtle creamy depth without ever stealing the spotlight from the fruit. No oak, no fuss, just Chenin showing its honest side.
About the Producer
Boutinot
Paul Boutinot spent years searching the world for a site that could make wine on his terms. He found it on the Schapenberg, a windswept ridge above Somerset West looking out over False Bay and the Atlantic. From day one Waterkloof was farmed organically, with biodynamic conversion following soon after. Cattle, sheep and goats roam the estate producing compost and grazing cover crops, and draught horses do the work tractors usually do, keeping the soil loose and alive. Cellarmaster Nadia Barnard, who joined at the very beginning and now runs the cellar, takes those naturally balanced grapes and gives them as little intervention as possible. It's farming as philosophy, and you can taste it.