Breedekloof

South Africa

Daschbosch belongs to a quiet revolution in Breedekloof. For decades this valley was the Cape's workhorse, a place of co-operatives and bulk wine, its old vineyards overlooked. Daschbosch saw something different in those gnarled survivors, and has built a reputation by giving Breedekloof's rare old-vine parcels the careful, single-minded attention they deserve. The Avon Clairette Blanche is a flagbearer for that thinking: a near-forgotten white grape, grown on vines planted long before anyone thought it fashionable, made with restraint and conviction. It is the kind of wine that rewards a producer willing to back unglamorous old vineyards.