Botanica, located in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley, was founded in 2009 by owner and winemaker, Ginny Povall. Her Protea Heights farm was the first in South Africa to cultivate indigenous protea flowers commercially and just under half of the farm is planted with indigenous flowers. The small, maturing on-site vineyard is now the sole source of her grapes, the exception being her debut wine, Mary Delany Chenin, which hails from the fabled terroir of South Africa’s Skurfberg, in the Citrustdal Mountains.
This iconic Cape Chenin Blanc boasts a stellar seven-times 5-star rating in Platter’s South African Wine Guide since its 2009 vintage debut. The vineyard was planted between 1957 and 1960 and is therefor part of the official Certified Heritage Vineyards. The grapes from this unirrigated, bushvine vineyard, were naturally fermented in 400L fourth fill barrels and one concrete egg. Aged on the lees for another six months before blending and bottling.