Chenin blanc Under a Chenin Sky 2025 Aurelien Petit

Under a Chenin Sky 2025 Chenin Blanc by Aurélien Petit is a luminous, finely chiselled and textured white from South Africa, crafted by a French winegrower settled in the Swartland. Made from old Chenin vines, the emblematic grape of South Africa, it combines generous fruit with a remarkable saline tension. It is a wine of pleasure and of the table, of great purity.

Terroir and vineyards
The Swartland, north of Cape Town, has become in roughly twenty years the most dynamic wine region of South Africa. Chenin finds a natural home here: South Africa now has more Chenin vines than the Loire, many of them old parcels. 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 harvest is carried out by hand, and the winemaking involves a minimum of intervention.

Tasting profile
The colour is pale, bright gold. The nose opens on yellow apple, quince and pear, with notes of citrus, acacia honey, white flowers and a touch of wax. The palate is full and textured, carried by lively acidity and fine salinity. The finish is long and fresh. Drink now and over the next four to five years.

The estate
Aurélien Petit is a French winegrower who settled in South Africa. There he works old Swartland vines with a very respectful approach, without superfluous inputs and with minimal intervention in the cellar. His cuvées, highly sought after by merchants and sommeliers, reveal another facet of South African wine: pure, taut and living wines, shaped by his perspective as a French vigneron.

Food and wine pairing
Serve between 10 and 12 °C. It pairs beautifully with white fish in lemon butter, pan seared scallops, creamy poultry, Thai cuisine or a mild curry. Among cheeses, it matches well with an aged goat's cheese or a young Comté.