Description
2024 Solms-Delta Vastrap Grenache Blanc
Sourced from a single vineyard rooted in granite-based soils, this Grenache Blanc is more than just a white wine—it’s a subtle narrative of place and process. The vineyard, nestled in one of the Cape’s most exciting and yet often overlooked wards, benefits from a confluence of maritime influence, stony soils, and naturally low yields that give concentration without weight.
In the cellar, the approach was deliberately hands-off. Grapes were destemmed and gently pressed before being allowed to settle naturally overnight in tank. The next morning, the juice was racked off its heaviest lees and divided between stainless steel and seasoned French oak barrels—the latter not to impart overt oak flavour, but to introduce oxygen and broaden the wine’s shoulders.
From here, the winemaking team took a leap of faith: spontaneous fermentation, with no additions or adjustments. No enzymes, no cultured yeasts, no acid tweaks—just the wild ambient yeast populations of the cellar and vineyard at work. Once primary fermentation completed, a minimal addition of sulphur dioxide was made to stabilise the wine, and then it was left to rest sur lie on its gross lees for several months. This choice, though risky, adds real dimension—imparting texture, subtle oxidative nuance, and savory depth. A light filtration was performed before bottling, preserving the purity and natural cloudlessness of the final wine.
In the glass, the 2024 Vastrap Grenache Blanc is pale gold with a slight green edge, suggesting both youth and vibrancy. Aromatically, it’s restrained but intriguing: white stone fruit, fennel fronds, crushed granite and a faint echo of lemon curd. On the palate, the wine is quietly powerful—it doesn’t shout, but rather unfolds in layers, with a soft, almost waxy mid-palate, crystalline acidity, and a lingering, saline finish that seems to hum with the energy of its origin.
This is not a fruit-forward, easy white. It’s a wine that rewards attention—more Chablis than Chenin, more texture than tropicality. It’s also a statement of philosophy: that minimal intervention does not mean minimal ambition. Quite the opposite—it takes confidence and precision to know when to step back.
With Vastrap, Solms-Delta has added a compelling white to its growing stable of terroir-driven wines, marking a bold return to the estate’s ethos: one rooted in heritage, authenticity, and the expressive power of the Cape’s ancient soils.
