Bellingham The Bernard Series Chenin Blanc 2022

Parcels with a story to tell (old vines, unique sites) are sought out by Richard Duckitt and Ricardo Cloete, winemakers, and Heinie Nel, viticulturist, for this brand established in the years after WW2 by Bernard Podlashuk, innovative vintner and revitaliser of the original home-farm, Belle en Champ. The team members then focus on preserving that specialness through the farming and winemaking, for example fermenting with wild yeasts and using neutral vessels such as amphoras and concrete tanks.

The Bernard Series is their tribute to the determination and maverick spirit of Bernard – celebrated as a trail-blazing visionary – his tenacity and courage established the winery’s stellar reputation and helped shape the South African wine industry we know and love today. The legend of Bernard’s tenacity and innovative flair lives on through The Bernard Series range of hand-crafted wines, each with a stamp of unmistakable site-specificity and individuality.