Palomino Oosterland 1688 2025 Aurelien Petit

The Palomino Oosterland 1688 2025 by Aurélien Petit is a rare and singular South African white, made from old Palomino vines in the Swartland. Chiselled, saline and textured, it reveals a historic variety long associated with sherry, here in a dry, pure and luminous style. It is an original cuvée, ideal for the curious and for lovers of white wines with character.

Terroir and vineyards
The Swartland, north of Cape Town, has become over the past twenty years the most dynamic wine region in South Africa. Palomino has been planted there for a long time, and a few rare plots of old vines have survived. Trained as bush vines and dry farmed, they grow on poor soils of granite, schist and clay. The warm climate is softened by Atlantic breezes. The cuvée's name pays tribute to the Oosterland, one of the ships that brought French Huguenots to the Cape in 1688, the founders of South African winemaking tradition. The harvest is picked by hand, and the vinification uses a minimum of intervention.

Tasting profile
The colour is pale, bright gold. The nose opens on green apple, pear and lemon, with notes of fresh almond, white flowers and a hint of iodine. The palate is taut and textured, with good substance and pronounced salinity. The finish is long, saline and slightly bitter, very food friendly. This is a wine to drink now and over the next three to four years.

The producer
Aurélien Petit is a French winemaker who settled in South Africa. There he works old vines of the Swartland with a very respectful approach, without superfluous inputs and with minimal intervention in the cellar. His cuvées, much sought after by wine merchants and sommeliers, show another facet of South African wine: pure, taut and lively wines, inspired by a French winemaker's outlook.

Food and wine pairing
Serve between 10 and 12 °C. It pairs perfectly with oysters, shellfish, tapas, grilled almonds, grilled fish with lemon, ceviche or sushi. For cheese, it goes very well with a Manchego or a young Comté.