A Chenin Worth Hunting Down + New Cinsault Just Landed
We’re thrilled to share that the Natte Valleij Axle Chenin Blanc 2024 has just been named Jancis Robinson MW’s Wine of the Week, with critic Tamlyn Currin calling it “a wine worth hunting down.” A benchmark for New Wave South African white wine, this latest release is thrilling, textural, and uncompromisingly expressive.
Also just landed in the UK: the 2023 vintage of Natte Valleij’s Stellenbosch Cinsault—a cult-favourite red that’s as compelling in summer as it is by the fireplace come winter, along with the whole range of top-rated Natte Valleij wines.
Currin writes:
“If you can’t find his Chenin, please find his Cinsaults.”
We say: Why not both?
Read Tamlyn’s Full Wine of the Week write-up on one of our favourite producers HERE.
Natte Valleij (pronounced “nutteh fallay”) is Afrikaans for ‘wet valley’—a name that speaks to both origin and the quiet power of these wines.
Other Jancis Robinson MW ratings include:
Natte Valleij Stellenbosch Cinsault 2021 – 17.5 Points
Natte Valleij Stellenbosch Cinsault 2022 – 17.5 Points
Natte Valleij Coastal Cinsault 2022 – 16.5 Points
Natte Valleij Darling Cinsault 2022 – 18 Points
Natte Valleij Axle Chenin Blanc 2023 – 17.5 Points
Natte Valleij Darling Cinsault 2023 – 17.5 Points
*All Available on Museum Wines HERE.
17.5 Points – Jancis Robinson MW
“100% Chenin from bush vines planted in 1985 on decomposed granite. They do two picks, roughly one week apart; the first for acidity and the second for flavour and richness. This was the first wine they pressed using the automatic press rather than the ancient basket press. A portion is whole bunch and a portion is destemmed with some skin contact. Spontaneous fermentation in old 225-litre French barrels and large cask. Aged 10 months on lees. Bottled 1 November 2024. RS 4.4 g/l, TA 5.7 g/l, pH 3.6. 6,600 bottles produced. Slightly spicy nose. This is utterly spectacular! Glittering with acidity. So precise. So much fruit and yet not fruity. Peach, apricot and kumquat. Papaya. So much length and juice and angles and yet, also, swooping curves. There is both jubilance and tension in this wine. Generosity and fullness and yet chisel and etch. But it’s still so young. I’d love to taste this in a year or two.” – Tamlyn Currin.
95 Points – Tim Atkin MW | 95 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“Alex Milner has done as much as anyone to resurrect the fortunes of Cape Cinsault. This engagingly complex red comes from a 1972 bush-vine parcel on decomposed granite and was fermented in two parts, with 5% and 15% of stalks. Vibrant and acid-driven, it has rose petal and Turkish Delight aromas and a palate of pomegranate, strawberry and redcurrant. Mineral and complex. 2025-30” – Tim Atkin MW.
“Intricately perfumed, this vintage shows a more ethereal bouquet of roses, potpourri and Turkish delight, mixed with dried herbs and a subtle minerality. The texture is very pure and precise, deliciously tangy and fresh but also quite classically framed and intense with massive concentration and persistence on the finish. Very impressive indeed.”- Greg Sherwood MW.
