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AA Badenhorst Secateurs Riviera

2021

A delicate, approachable orange wine from the Badenhorst Family.

‘Riviera’ is predominantly Chenin Blanc, with a little Semillon and Colombard thrown in to the mix. The wine has spent around two weeks on the skins; just enough to qualify it as an orange wine, but not so much that it’s too grippy or deep in colour.

For years this wine was blended into the regular Secateurs white - to add texture – but being so delicious alone, Badenhorst decided to bottle it.

It’s highly scented with griddled apricots, peaches and Earl Grey tea. It has a spicy ginger kick on the palate, with grapefruit and pineapple on the finish. Complex but far from scary; a great intro to skin-contact wines.

Andre Adriaan Badenhorst grew up between the vineyards of Constantia and spent his time picking (stealing) grapes. “It all started when Jean Daneel, then winemaker at Buitenverwachting, let me make my first wine when I was thirteen,” Adi recalls.

After completing his studies at Elsenburg, Adi worked a few harvests in North Rhone, and in New Zealand and did stints at local cellars and nine years as winemaker at the esteemed Stellenbosch estate, Rustenberg.

In 2008 he packed it all in and bought a 60-hectare piece of land in the Paardeberg with his cousin Hein. They now proudly farm together, practice biological farming and make natural wines in the traditional manner.

Details

More Information
Wine Type	White wine
Closure	Screw Cap
Alc. Vol	13.5
Units	10.12
Region	Swartland
Country	South Africa
Grape Varietal	Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Semillon

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What does skin-contact mean?

Skin-contact wine, or orange wine, is white wine that has gained a darker, deeper colour due to the contact of the fermenting juice with the grape skins. This is the same process used in red wine making and gives the wine colour, flavour and texture.

The process for skin-contact wine involves crushing white grapes and leaving them in contact with their skins for days or even months, depending on the desired intensity. Because the colour pigments are found in the grape's skins, this gives the wine an orange hue.

Skin-contact wines have a long history. They first appeared in Georgia thousands of years ago, and were still made in Italy up until the 1960's when this wine making process then fell out of fashion as more fresh white wines dominated the market. They are now making a comeback, largely as part of the natural wine movement.

What is organic wine?

Organic wine is wine made from grapes grown in accordance with the principles of organic farming. This excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Previously, “Made with Organically Grown Grapes” was legally the only claim possible, but regulations introduced in 2012 now allow the whole winemaking process, from harvest to bottle, to be certified by law.

The definition does still vary from country to country though. In the US, no additional sulfites may be added to any organic product, including wine. In the EU, added sulfites are allowed, though there are limits on how much. Most other wine-producing countries do not have their own standards for organic wine and observe the standards of the nation importing the wine.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety that is grown throughout the world, most notably in the French Loire Valley and South Africa. It’s a variety that produces a wide range of styles, from sparkling wines and lean, dry whites to sweet, golden nectars and brandy. The grape itself provides a fairly neutral palate, being able to flaunt the expression of terroir, vintage variation, and the winemaker’s treatment.

In South Africa, Chenin (also called Steen) is the most widely planted variety. It is sometimes blended with Semillon, Viognier, and Marsanne to make a richer-styled wine similar to an oaked Chardonnay. It can also blended with Sauvignon Blanc to create a fresh and zesty dry wine.

The Loire Valley is much cooler in climate. The high acid, less ripe grapes make a great base for sparkling (Crémant de Loire). Riper grapes are used in the richly aromatic, off-dry styles (Vouvray). Finally, at the end of the harvest season, the last grapes picked are beyond ripe or affected with noble rot, which concentrates the grapes’ sugars, lending rich flavours of marmalade, ginger, and saffron. These late harvest grapes go into the famous sweet wines of the region, including Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux.