Waterkloof Circle of Life White
£12.99
£17.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 6 bottles available
A Stellenbosch white that doesn't follow the rulebook. Instead of chasing a Bordeaux or Rhône template, Waterkloof pours the whole estate into one glass, ripe orchard fruit, a thread of honey, and the lifted freshness that comes from biodynamic vines and ocean-cooled slopes. Bright, food-loving, and genuinely interesting at this price.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Sourced direct
Our Verdict
We listed Circle of Life because it does something most Cape whites in this bracket simply don't, it tastes like a place, not a recipe. Waterkloof's biodynamic farming on the Schapenberg gives this blend a textural depth and savoury edge you'd expect from a bottle costing twice as much. It's our pick for the wine lover who's already drunk plenty of Sauvignon and Chenin and wants something more characterful, more grown-up. A genuinely brilliant midweek white that doesn't feel like a compromise.
Tasting Notes
A white blend with genuine presence, medium-weight but with real intensity behind it. The nose opens with ripe orchard fruit: crisp apple, juicy pear, and a thread of honey that hints at the wine's depth without tipping into sweetness. The palate follows through with bright, mouth-watering acidity that keeps everything fresh, while the texture carries weight and length. It finishes long and clean, leaving a savoury echo that makes you reach for another sip.
About This Wine
Some white wines try to be one thing brilliantly. Circle of Life tries to be everything Waterkloof is, and somehow pulls it off. It's a blend that ignores the usual playbooks, drawing on whichever vineyard blocks and varieties best capture the estate's character in any given year. Think of it as Waterkloof in a single glass. The nose leads with ripe apple and pear, with a whisper of honey and white blossom drifting through. The palate carries real weight, fuller than your typical crisp Cape white, balanced by a clean line of acidity that keeps everything lifted and food-friendly. There's intensity here, but no heaviness; power without bluster. Waterkloof sits on the cool, breezy Schapenberg slopes above False Bay, and the estate is farmed organically and biodynamically, draft horses instead of tractors, compost teas instead of shortcuts. That care shows in the glass. Grapes are picked at dawn while still cool, then gently basket-pressed to keep the fruit pure and unforced. Pour it with a prawn risotto, roast chicken with lemon and thyme, or a Thai green curry that needs a wine with backbone. It's also a thoughtful gift for anyone curious about what biodynamic Stellenbosch can do. Delivered to your door anywhere in the UK, usually within a few working days.
Food Pairing
Built for the table. The combination of weight and acidity makes it a natural with creamy seafood dishes, prawn risotto is the house favourite, and for good reason. It also handles roast chicken with lemon and thyme beautifully, sings alongside a smoked haddock fishcake, and stands up confidently to a soft, washed-rind cheese on the board.
- —Prawn and lemon risotto
- —Roast chicken with thyme and garlic
- —Smoked haddock fishcakes with hollandaise
- —Grilled sea bass with crushed new potatoes
- —Soft washed-rind cheeses with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant, but don't over-chill it either. Serving it slightly warmer than you might a Sauvignon Blanc lets the honey, pear and textural weight come through properly.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drink now while the orchard fruit is bright and the honeyed notes are gently lifting the nose. It will hold comfortably for a couple of years in good storage, slowly trading some of that primary fruit for a richer, more textured, faintly waxy character.
The Winemaking
Picking happens in the cool early hours, when the fruit still carries the night's freshness, a small detail that makes a real difference to a white wine like this. Whole bunches go into a gentle basket press, with no enzymes or settling agents nudging things along. It's a slow, hands-off approach that lets the juice speak for itself, preserving the natural aromatics and giving the finished blend that combination of intensity and quiet poise.
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.