For the second consecutive year, Brookdale Estate received the coveted Tim Atkin nod for its Chenin Blancs. Both wines in the stable scored above 90 in the 2021 report on South African wines, compiled by the renowned British Master of Wine, wine judge and commentator.
Flagship Brookdale Chenin Blanc 2019 retains a solid rating of 93 for the same vintage judged by Tim Atkin in 2020. It was however the Brookdale Mason Road Chenin Blanc which made great strides this year, the 2020 vintage having broken through the 90’s bar to walk away with a score of 91, improving last year’s score of 88 for the previous vintage (2019).
Brookdale is a very young estate, and winemaker Kiara Scott and her team is working hard at innovation and improving each vintage. A true Cinderella story, the farm was once overgrown and underused. The Rudd family, originally from the United Kingdom, recognised the potential of the property and acquired the 67-hectare estate in 2015. Their vision was to create a world-class country estate producing fine wines, starting with a single block of old-vine Chenin Blanc, currently estimated to be about 36 years old, which was saved to become the maiden release in 2017. New vineyards were planted on the estate, including more Chenin Blanc which has once again proved that it thrives in this terroir, set above Paarl against the dramatic backdrop of the Klein Drakenstein mountains.