FOR YEARS the reputation of Fleur du Cap as a collection of top quality, interesting wines from Distell’s Bergkelder in Stellenbosch was built mainly on the strength of whites in the ‘Unfiltered’ range – such was the consistency that Fleur du Cap Unfiltered soon ranked among South Africa’s top-ranked classified Chardonnays, Semillons, Viogniers and white blends. And it wasn’t long before the reds and dessert wine became as highly regarded – Fleur du Cap’s Noble Late Harvest, Unfiltered Cabernet and Unfiltered Merlot are all among the Top 10 in their respective categories, with the Noble Late and Cabernet so consistently good, vintage after vintage, that they qualified for the Hall of Fame.

Curiously, while many of the varieties included in the more competitively priced, bigger-volume ‘Bergkelder Selection’ have been showcased in the premium Unfiltered range, Chenin Blanc and South Africa’s other ‘trump card’ Pinotage were confined to second-tier status. Until now, that is! Just released, the maiden 2014 vintages of Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chenin Blanc (R108 per bottle at the cellar door) and Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Pinotage (R135 pb) are sure to grab attention, what with the standard version of the Chenin having earned Veritas double gold for several vintages and the standard Fleur du Cap Pinotage having placed among the Absa Top 10 finalists on a couple of occasions.

According to the cellarmaster, Wim Truter: “These wines are the culmination of a long search for just the right vineyards…” The Chenin grapes came from 30- and 20-year-old gnarled bush vines in Paarl and Darling, with wine from the Paarl component having spent time in oak before blending and eight months’ barrel maturation. The Pinotage fruit was sourced from bush vines over 20 years old on the hills of Bottelary and Agter Paarl, the final blend wooded for 12 months.

Winemaker Pieter Badenhorst says the Chenin is characterised by “stone fruit, dried apricots and peaches on the nose… hints of marmalade and a touch of wood spice”. Whereas the Pinotage shows strawberry and cherry with sweet oak spice on the nose. “The wine is lush and silky,” says Truter, who recommends pairing it with charcuterie or Cape Malay dishes such as bobotie, and Indian curries. “A good Vindaloo or Rogan Josh come to mind.”

Next up on the Fleur du Cap launch pad? Well, there isn’t a Shiraz among the Unfiltered wines as yet?! Who knows where it’ll come from, but bush vines, probably…