Piekenierskloof Grenache Blanc
£14.19
£18.92 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 4 bottles left
Looking for a white that does something different? This is South African Grenache Blanc from old, dryland bush vines high in the Citrusdal Mountains. Fresh citrus and green apple, a whisper of something herbal, and a crisp, full finish with real weight. A clever, food-friendly pour that costs less than it tastes. Delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We rate this as one of the smartest white wine buys in our South African range. Grenache Blanc is hardly a household name here, which is exactly why we love putting this one in front of people: it consistently outdrinks its modest price and surprises everyone who pours it. The old dryland bush vines and that mountain altitude give it a concentration and crispness you simply do not expect at this level. Perfect for the curious drinker who is bored of the usual Sauvignon and Chardonnay routine. Only a small parcel reaches us, so if it appeals, do not wait too long.
Tasting Notes
Lift the glass and you get fresh citrus and a soft floral note straight away, the kind of perfume that says cool nights and high-altitude fruit. The palate is bright and crisp but never thin: green and yellow apple, lemon and lime, a touch of stone fruit, all carried by clean, mouth-watering acidity. Four months in older French oak adds quiet weight and texture rather than vanilla, so the wine feels full and smooth through a long, herbaceous, dry finish.
About This Wine
You have found one of the Cape's quiet overachievers. Grenache Blanc rarely gets top billing, but in the right hands it makes a white of genuine character, and Piekenierskloof has those hands. This is the place locals call Grenache HQ: an elevated plateau north of the Swartland, where ungrafted bush vines have been digging into sandy loam since long before anyone thought the region fashionable. The altitude does the heavy lifting. Cool mountain nights and warm days slow the ripening right down, so the fruit holds onto its freshness and acidity. You taste it straight away: bright lemon and grapefruit, crisp green apple, a touch of yellow orchard fruit and stone fruit underneath, all lifted by a gentle floral, herbal note. A few months in older, larger French oak barrels rounds the texture without ever stealing the show, giving a mouthfeel that is fresh and crisp but full and smooth at the same time. This is a brilliant table wine. Pour it with grilled sea bass, a lemony roast chicken, salads with goat's cheese, or a Thai green curry where its freshness keeps everything in balance. It also makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who thinks they have tried every white going. We ship it to your door anywhere in the UK, usually within a few days.
Food Pairing
This is a natural with seafood. Pour it alongside grilled sea bass with lemon, a plate of fresh oysters, or pan-fried scallops. The crisp acidity also cuts beautifully through a goat's cheese and herb tart, and it has enough weight to handle a roast chicken with thyme. For a relaxed lunch, try it with a Thai green curry where the citrus and freshness keep the spice in check.
- —Grilled sea bass with lemon and herbs
- —Fresh oysters with a squeeze of lemon
- —Pan-fried scallops
- —Goat's cheese and herb tart
- —Roast chicken with thyme
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant. A short ten minutes in the glass as it warms slightly is enough to coax out the floral lift and the gentle oak-given weight beneath the fruit.
Behind the Wine
Up on the Piekenierskloof plateau, the rhythm rarely changes: warm, sun-filled days followed by genuinely cool mountain nights. That swing is the secret. It lets the grapes ripen slowly and evenly, holding on to bright natural acidity while flavour quietly concentrates. The dryland bush vines aren't pampered or irrigated, so they dig deep and bear small, intense bunches. You taste all of that in the glass: fresh citrus lift, real freshness, and a core of fruit that feels focused rather than fat.
Ageing Potential
This is built for freshness rather than the cellar. Drink it now and over the next couple of years while the citrus aromatics and crisp acidity are at their most vivid. There is little to gain from longer keeping, so enjoy it young.
The Land
The vines grow on famous koffieklip and sandy loam soils across east-west facing slopes. These free-draining, low-vigour soils, worked dryland with no irrigation, force the roots down and keep yields naturally small. The result is tiny, densely structured bunches packed with intensity, and a wine with finer aromatics, brisk acidity and that distinctive mineral cut running through the finish.
The Winemaking
This is a wine built on restraint. Only the free-run juice is used, the gentlest fraction, and fermentation is kept slow and steady at a cool 15°C with a selected yeast to protect those delicate citrus and floral aromatics. After that, a short, careful spell in older 500L French oak, third and fourth fill, for around four months. The point of well-used barrels is subtlety: a touch of texture and roundness across the palate without any obvious oak flavour, leaving the fruit and that crisp finish firmly in charge.
The Swartland Region
Swartland, 'the black land' in Afrikaans, named for the renosterbos that darkens after rain, rolls out north of Cape Town across the hills around Malmesbury and Riebeek-Kasteel. It's hot, dry, and stubbornly characterful: a place of old bush vines, granite and koffieklip soils, and a community of growers who've made it the most quietly thrilling corner of South African wine. Concentration, freshness, and a wild streak you don't find elsewhere, that's Swartland in a glass.
About the Producer
Piekenierskloof Wine Company
Piekenierskloof Wine Company takes its name from the plateau it calls home, a high-altitude pocket in the Citrusdal Mountains about 50km north of Swartland. The Piekeniers were Dutch soldiers sent from the Cape centuries ago to explore the Olifants River region; today their name marks one of South Africa's most quietly important wine zones. Under winemaker Hendrien Vercueil, the team specialises in Rhône-style wines built around the area's old, ungrafted bush vines. Some of these were planted back in the 1950s and still produce small, intense bunches that give Piekenierskloof's wines their distinctive depth and authenticity. This is a producer that lets the place do the talking.