While many view South Africa as a newcomer on the global stage, the Western Cape has been crafting wine for over 350 years—and today, winemaker Bernhard Bredell and his boutique label, Scions of Sinai, are at the forefront of a quiet revolution. Bredell is demonstrating that South Africa deserves serious recognition as an absolute hotbed for world-class Grenache Blanc alongside classic Chenin Blanc. When planted in harsh, high-stress soils, Grenache Blanc yields a remarkably mineral-driven, aromatic white wine that rivals the best in the Southern Hemisphere. This bottling is a compelling discovery for anyone looking to expand their cellar, and it is well worth securing in multi-bottle quantities.
* Previous vintage named Grenache Blanc of the Year by Platter’s Wine Guide *
* Crafted by Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year, Bernhard Bredell *
While the 2025 vintage has yet to be formally reviewed, Neal Martin of Vinous awarded the 2024 vintage a glowing 94 points, calling it “Superb.”
Winemaker Bernhard Bredell’s roots run deep as a seventh-generation wine farmer whose family historically supplied Port varieties to the old government-controlled KWV monopoly. When that system collapsed and family land was sold, Bredell set out to forge his own path. He honed his skills at elite European estates—working harvests in Fleurie, Crozes-Hermitage alongside Alain Graillot, and the dramatic slate hills of Priorat. It was in Priorat that he fell in love with high-elevation shale and schist, recognizing that exact rare geology back home in an isolated, sun-baked corner of the Klein Karoo known locally as "Gramadoelas" (literally "the boondocks"). Crowned Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year, Bredell’s star has risen rapidly, with his previous 2024 vintage taking home Grenache Blanc of the Year in the prestigious Platter’s Guide.
Crafted with minimal intervention—whole-cluster pressed, native yeast fermented, and aged nine months in seasoned French oak and concrete—this delivers the satisfying mid-palate weight and texture Chardonnay lovers crave, blended with the electric aromatic energy that drives fanatical drinkers of dry Riesling, Grüner, and bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc. Expect an intoxicating nose of white peach, wild fynbos herbs, crushing wet slate, and preserved lemon peel. On the palate, it’s explosive: framed by raw, crunchy acidity and a saline, tactile grip from brief skin contact that leaves your mouth watering for another sip. South Africa has officially thrown down the gauntlet for world-class Grenache Blanc, and this is the bottle that proves it.
