Badenhorst Family Wines, Swartland (South Africa) Chenin Blanc 2018

 What do you get when you mix together a pleasing palate based on vibrant, summery fruit, velvety richness tempered by refreshing acidity and a tug of minerality?  In this case, what you get is Secateurs 2018 Chenin Blanc.  Having spent time on its lees in concrete tanks and old casks this wine shows freshness, an appealing weightiness, and a relatively long finish.  Secateurs is also surprisingly low in alcohol (13%).  Thanks to its multilayered floral, spicy, citrusy, stony features it is delicious on its own and a fine companion to various dishes, from seafood to almost anything with a cheese component.  As is often true, price is not necessarily a measure of a wine’s worth.  This wine is uniquely interesting, wonderfully aromatic, absolutely delicious and well worth its relatively modest price.