2020 Cape Route Chenin Blanc

Cape Route is the creation of Ernst Storm, a winemaker who splits his time between Santa Barbara and his homeland in South Africa. Born in Hermanus, near Cape Town in the famed Walker Bay appellation, Ernst landed in California in 2003 and has since honed a mix of modern techniques alongside the hand-crafted methods of the Cape. This Chenin Blanc comes from a schist and limestone-based vineyard and sees six months aging in stainless steel, all of which accentuate the wine’s bright mineral flavors. These are joined by notes of citrus and melon, with a classic South African hint of struck match. Just like the meandering, scenic road it’s named for — a stretch of the longest wine route on Earth — Cape Route is one of South Africa’s best-kept secrets.