Description
Holden Manz Chenin Blanc 2024 is a Franschhoek white built around old-vine fruit, measured texture, and aromatic clarity. Sourced from a certified single block of bush vines planted in 1983 on the Simonsberg-Paarl border, it brings a little more pedigree and shape than a simple fruit-forward Chenin. This is a wine that balances perfume and freshness with just enough lees and oak influence to give it a broader, more complete feel.
The nose opens with citrus, tropical fruit, white flowers, and a light note of white peach. On the palate, bright pear and lemon meringue lead, followed by lingering flavors of summer melon and a hint of toasted brioche. The wine sits in a medium-bodied frame, with a fine line of acidity keeping everything focused and lifted. It would pair especially well with roast chicken, grilled seafood, creamy vegetable dishes, or pork with fruit-based sauces, where its freshness and subtle texture can work naturally with the food.
Already highly expressive, this is a Chenin Blanc that offers immediate appeal, while its old-vine origin and lees work suggest it should hold and develop nicely over the near term.
The nose opens with citrus, tropical fruit, white flowers, and a light note of white peach. On the palate, bright pear and lemon meringue lead, followed by lingering flavors of summer melon and a hint of toasted brioche. The wine sits in a medium-bodied frame, with a fine line of acidity keeping everything focused and lifted. It would pair especially well with roast chicken, grilled seafood, creamy vegetable dishes, or pork with fruit-based sauces, where its freshness and subtle texture can work naturally with the food.
Already highly expressive, this is a Chenin Blanc that offers immediate appeal, while its old-vine origin and lees work suggest it should hold and develop nicely over the near term.
The fruit was hand-selected from a certified single block of bush vines planted in 1983 in the Simonsberg-Paarl border area. After harvest, the berries were cooled to 5°C before undergoing a Champagne-style crush cycle. The clarified juice was then transferred by gravity to barrels and tanks for fermentation.
Wild yeast fermentation was used throughout, with 20% of the wine vinified and matured in second- and third-fill French oak barrels. The full blend was kept on the fine lees with continuous stirring, building texture and complexity while preserving freshness and fruit definition.
Winemaker: Thierry Haberer
Wild yeast fermentation was used throughout, with 20% of the wine vinified and matured in second- and third-fill French oak barrels. The full blend was kept on the fine lees with continuous stirring, building texture and complexity while preserving freshness and fruit definition.
Winemaker: Thierry Haberer
Named after owners Gerard Holden and Migo Mans, this Franschhoek property was originally developed into a wine farm in 1999. Located in the top, southernmost corner of the Franschhoek Valley, in the embrace of its spectacular mountains, the 22-hectare Holden Manz Wine Estate is situated between the Franschhoek River and Stony Brook at 300 meters above sea level. Today, it is a lifestyle destination, boasting a five-star guest house and spa, restaurant, picnics by the Franschhoek River, and an art collection housed in the town.
An exclusive grower of red grapes, the estate cultivates only its top 16 hectares under vineyards, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot, resulting in the production of ultra-premium wines made for the discerning wine connoisseur.
An exclusive grower of red grapes, the estate cultivates only its top 16 hectares under vineyards, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot, resulting in the production of ultra-premium wines made for the discerning wine connoisseur.
