2023 Savage Never Been Asked To Dance Chenin Blanc

96 pts
A monumental old vine Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc from winemaking master Duncan Savage.

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Sale price$55.00
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Description

The 2023 Savage Never Been Asked To Dance Chenin Blanc is Duncan Savage doing what he does best—letting old-vine fruit shine.

Sourced from a 69-year-old dry-farmed bush vine vineyard in Paarl, this Chenin grows on decomposed granite soils, adding a distinct mineral edge. The vineyard isn’t just tended by humans—baboons and birds get their share too. In the cellar, Duncan keeps things hands-off: whole-bunch pressing, oxidative handling, wild fermentation, and ageing for 10 months in older 600L Stockinger barrels.

The result is a layered, textural Chenin with bright acidity and a saline, mineral backbone. Expect notes of crushed granite, citrus, stone fruit, and a hint of toasted almond. It’s drinking beautifully now but will reward patience, evolving for a decade or more. Classic Savage—pure, precise, and packed with character.

96 points
"Fermented and aged in old Stockinger barrels, with full malolactic, it's a very Burgundian interpretation of the Cape’s signature white grape, with a leesy, creamy palate, subtle wood and a steely, chiselled finish. 2025-33."
- Tim Atkin MW (2024 South African Wine Report)

96 points - "Located on the border between Paarl and Stellenbosch, this superb Chenin Blanc hails from a 1956 block on the granite soils that the variety loves so much. Fermented and aged in old Stockinger barrels, with full malolactic, it's a very Burgundian interpretation of the Cape’s signature white grape, with a leesy, creamy palate, subtle wood and a steely, chiselled finish.
2025-33" - Tim Atkin MW (2024 South African Wine Report)

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chenin Blanc
Country South Africa
Region Stellenbosch
Critic Score 96
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

Savage

Duncan Savage discovered his passion for winemaking after high school, leading him to study at Elsenburg Agricultural College. He spent 14 years at Cape Point Vineyards, honing his skills before founding Savage Wines in Cape Town's Salt River in 2016. Duncan's first solo vintage in 2011 quickly garnered acclaim, solidifying his reputation.

Savage Wines focuses on sourcing grapes from high-altitude and maritime vineyards across the Western Cape, particularly granitic soils. Duncan leases vineyards and collaborates with dedicated South African growers to produce elegant and classic wines. His minimal intervention approach, using whole bunch fermentation, old wood, and amphorae, allows the terroir to shine.

The winery offers varieties like Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, and Touriga Nacional. With a history of producing Platter five-star wines, Savage Wines continues to impress and be a leader in the new wave of artisanal South African producers.

Winemaker Duncan Savage Savage

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