Pilgrim Wines Chenin Blanc 2024
R1,170.00 CASE OF 6
The 2024 Chenin Blanc represents another turn in the Pilgrim journey. After the exceptional 1982 Langkloof vineyard used for the 2023 vintage was uprooted, we had to look beyond the Paardeberg for a site capable of offering a new and worthwhile expression of Chenin Blanc.
The search led to the Breedekloof Valley, one of South Africa’s most important Chenin Blanc regions. This experimental parcel offered the opportunity to explore a markedly different expression of the variety: generous, fruit-driven and naturally inclined towards a softer, more immediately expressive style.
Tasting Notes
The 2024 Chenin Blanc represents another turn in the Pilgrim journey. After the exceptional 1982 Langkloof vineyard used for the 2023 vintage was uprooted, we had to look beyond the Paardeberg for a site capable of offering a new and worthwhile expression of Chenin Blanc.
The search led to the Breedekloof Valley, one of South Africa’s most important Chenin Blanc regions. This experimental parcel offered the opportunity to explore a markedly different expression of the variety: generous, fruit-driven and naturally inclined towards a softer, more immediately expressive style.
Pilgrim has always worked with vineyards and varieties that form part of a continuing journey. This wine was approached in that same spirit: an experiment in understanding what Breedekloof Chenin could contribute to the Pilgrim range.
The resulting wine proved very different from the more textural, restrained style usually associated with Pilgrim. It offered abundant fruit and a distinctive savoury, sweet-and-sour interplay on the palate. A small component from another site was blended in to add nuance and greater dimension.
Only one 500-litre barrel was produced. Although unlikely to become a recurring standalone bottling, the 2024 is a rewarding record of the experiment—an enjoyable wine in its own right and a valuable insight into the role Breedekloof fruit may play as a future blending component.
The fruit was handled with a deliberately light touch. Approximately 5% of the wine underwent skin contact—considerably less than in previous Pilgrim Chenin Blanc vintages—to retain freshness and structure without overwhelming the naturally expressive fruit profile of the Breedekloof component.
Fermentation took place naturally, followed by approximately twelve months of maturation in a neutral 500-litre oak barrel. The seasoned oak contributed no overt oak flavour, allowing gentle oxygen exchange and integration while preserving the wine’s fruit, savoury detail and balanced acidity. The wine was bottled in November 2025.
Colour: Pale straw with a soft golden glint.
Nose: Generous and immediately expressive, with ripe yellow apple, pear and peach supported by notes of quince, honeyed citrus and a subtle savoury undertone. The aromatic profile is open and fruit-forward, yet the small blending component brings welcome nuance and lift.
Palate: Rounded and supple, with abundant fruit carried by a lively sweet-sour tension. Ripe stone fruit and orchard fruit are balanced by fresh acidity, gentle savoury complexity and a restrained phenolic grip from the limited skin contact. The finish is smooth, bright and quietly textured.
A small-volume, one-off expression of Breedekloof Chenin Blanc: generous, engaging and an important part of the continuing Pilgrim journey.
Alcohol: 13.76% Vol.
pH: 3.37
Volatile acidity: 0.52 g/L
Total SO₂: 120 mg/L
Residual sugar: 2.03 g/L
Total acidity: 5.35 g/L
Free SO₂: 37 mg/L
Production: One 500-litre barrel
Miso glazed Chicken Espetada
Any dishes with rich, deep flavours will be a superb pairing with this wine. Seafood dishes will also be a winner. Below is a link to a mouth watering recipe for scrumptious Miso glazed Chicken Thigh Espetadas by The Foodfox, Ilse van der Merwe
