The Power of Love Chenin Blanc
£15.49
£20.65 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 4 bottles left
A Chenin Blanc with a conscience and a soundtrack. Black Elephant Vintners, the self-styled 'Rebels of the Vine' from Franschhoek, pour vibrant citrus, white pear and lingering yellow peach into every glass, with 5% of proceeds going to South African human rights charities. Drink well, do good.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Sourced direct
Our Verdict
We're suckers for a wine with a story, but only if the liquid backs it up, and this one absolutely does. The Power of Love punches well above its £15.49 price tag: it's got the Swartland's signature texture and that long peach-skin finish that keeps you coming back. Kevin, Jacques and Raymond at Black Elephant Vintners are doing genuinely interesting work in Franschhoek, and the fact that 5% of every sale goes to South African human rights charities makes this an easy recommendation. Stocks are getting low, so don't dither. If you enjoy this, the rest of the Black Elephant range is well worth exploring.
Tasting Notes
Bright and unmistakably Swartland on the nose, lifted citrus zest, ripe yellow peach and a whisper of quince that hints at the warmth this region delivers. The palate is full-bodied and fruit-forward, with juicy white pear and lemon pith framing a generous mid-palate. Acidity keeps everything fresh and focused, while a long, peach-tinged finish lingers far longer than the price suggests. This is Chenin doing what it does best: ripe Cape sunshine balanced by genuine drinkability.
About This Wine
Some wines you drink. Others you drink for a reason. The Power of Love Chenin Blanc is firmly in the second camp, a bottle born out of recent global turmoil and made with the conviction that wine, like music, can stand for something bigger. Black Elephant Vintners donate 5% of every sale to South African human rights charities, which means your Friday-night glass is doing a little quiet good in the world. In the glass, it's everything Swartland Chenin Blanc should be: vibrant, full-bodied and unapologetically fruit-forward. Expect a lift of fresh citrus, then white pear and quince settling into a long, lingering note of yellow peach. There's just enough weight to feel generous, and just enough freshness to keep you reaching for the next sip. At a friendly 12.5%, it's a wine that knows how to pace itself. This is brilliant with grilled prawns, a Thai green curry, or a roast chicken on a Sunday with the windows open. It's also a thoughtful gift, for the friend who cares about where their wine comes from, or the expat in London who'll appreciate a taste of the Cape. Delivered to your door anywhere in the UK. Best paired, as the makers suggest, with Bob Marley on the speakers.
Food Pairing
This is a brilliantly versatile food wine. The ripe stone fruit handles richer dishes, think roast chicken with lemon and thyme, or a creamy fish pie on a chilly evening. The bright acidity also makes it a natural with Thai green curry, grilled prawns, or a wedge of mature Cheddar. For a proper Sunday lunch alternative, try it alongside slow-roasted pork belly with apple sauce.
- —Roast chicken with lemon and thyme
- —Thai green curry with prawns
- —Slow-roasted pork belly with apple sauce
- —Creamy fish pie
- —Mature Cheddar with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
No decanting needed. If anything, give the first glass a few minutes in the glass to warm slightly, the peach and quince aromatics open up beautifully as the chill comes off.
Ageing & Cellaring
Built for drinking now while the fruit is at its most vibrant. Swartland Chenin of this style can hold for two to three years if stored well, with the peach and citrus softening into more honeyed, waxy notes, but there's no need to wait. Pull the cork tonight.
About the Producer
Black Elephant Vintners
Some producers let the wine speak for itself. Black Elephant Vintners lets the label do a bit of shouting too, and once you know the story, you understand why.
This Franschhoek outfit is the work of three friends, Kevin Swart, Jacques Wentzel and Raymond Ndlovu, who pooled their different backgrounds and decided winemaking should be taken seriously without taking itself too seriously. The name is a play on two of those surnames: Swart and Ndlovu become 'black elephant', and Jacques supplies the 'vintner'. It's a small joke that tells you a lot about how this team thinks.
They call themselves the Rebels of the Vine, a loose, collaborative team who work off good music and better instincts as much as convention. That irreverence shows up everywhere, from wine names like 'Three Men in a Tub With a Rubber Duck' to 'The Fox & The Flamingo', but underneath the whimsy is proper, considered winemaking. Fruit comes from vineyard sites scattered across the Franschhoek valley, with cooler parcels from Elgin, on the Cape coast, brought in specifically for their Méthode Cap Classique. That reach across warmer valley floor and cool coastal sites gives them options most single-vineyard producers don't have.
We stock Black Elephant Vintners because South African wine doesn't need to be earnest to be excellent. Alongside the structured, serious reds of Stellenbosch, it's worth remembering the Cape also produces winemakers who want you to smile before you even pull the cork. The wines back up the joke: bright, well-made Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, a savoury red blend with real character, and a Zero Dosage MCC that shows genuine technical skill behind the playful branding.
If you've only ever associated Franschhoek with fine dining and formal tasting rooms, this is the other side of the valley: same quality, same sense of place, considerably more fun in the telling.