Opstal Bergsteen bottle shot

Slanghoek

Opstal

Opstal Bergsteen

WhiteChenin BlancVeganOld Vine

Orange PeelLemongrassRipe PeachSite Specific

90Vinous Neal Martin'24
Meet Opstal

Details

Variety

Chenin Blanc

Style

White

Region

Slanghoek

Appellation

Slanghoek

Producer

Opstal

Country

South Africa

The Inspiration

Bergsteen - Afrikaans for "Mountain Chenin" - is Attie Louw's single-barrel Chenin Blanc, made from a single SN24-clone block planted in 2006 on the highest site on the farm at 365 meters altitude. Clay-rich sandstone and shale soils give the fruit real depth and concentration without ever flattening the line. Fermentation and maturation happen in older 500 L French oak barrels, which Attie Louw has found complement the site's complexity rather than over-frame it. The wine carries power and concentration alongside beautiful acidity (5.2 g/L total acidity post-malolactic) and balance - a Chenin built on the geometry of altitude as much as on the cellar. Single barrel. Single site. The label points to the mountain; the wine carries it. An epitome of Chenin expression for Opstal and South Africa.

About Opstal

7th generation family farm since 1847

Opstal represents seven generations of family stewardship in South Africa's Slanghoek Valley within the Breedekloof (Slanghoek translates from Afrikaans as "Snake's Corner"), dating back to 1847. Owned and managed by the Louw family, the estate has built its reputation on warm hospitality, beautiful surroundings and quality winemaking in this cooler wine-growing climate that produces fruit-forward wines due to a slower ripening of the vines. The operation centers on collaboration and continuity. Cellar Master Attie Louw and his brother Zak, who manages production, work alongside their parents, sixth-generation Stanley and Ria Louw. The team is bolstered by farm staff representing three generations of workers, with thirty families residing on the property. This stability creates institutional knowledge that shapes every vintage. The estate's philosophy blends tradition with gratitude. The pocket-friendly Sixpence range honors both a legendary shepherd and the countless workers whose dedication built the estate's legacy, while the Carl Everson heritage range celebrates the family's winemaking lineage. Rather than viewing winemaking as a solitary pursuit, Opstal explicitly celebrates it as collective achievement: every family member, past and present, plays a vital role in their story. Under Attie Louw's stewardship, Opstal has leant into regenerative farming with a herd of Dexter cattle and an active Cape Nature partnership to preserve the surrounding fynbos, and the estate has earned a growing reputation with many global accolades.

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