A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Riviera 2025

A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Riviera

Region: Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa

Vintage: 2025

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier

ABV: 13%

A complex aromatic profile with notes of grapefruit, quince, and spice. The palate is grippy and textured, supported by a refreshing tannin structure. The wine’s deeper yellow hue reflects its skin contact and maceration, offering a distinctive and expressive take on Swartland Chenin Blanc.

The fruit for Secateurs Riviera comes from a single old Chenin Blanc vineyard, planted in 1972, located beside a dry riverbed in the Swartland. Affectionately named “Riviera,” the site features sandy decomposed granite soils, which contribute to the wine’s mineral lift and aromatic clarity. Grapes are picked when tannins are ripe and the fruit has turned golden yellow under the Swartland sun, ensuring depth and texture.

Riviera is a skin-macerated Chenin Blanc, made using carbonic maceration techniques. After hand-harvesting, the grapes are cooled overnight. Around 60% of the fruit is placed in concrete tanks, partially whole bunch and partially destemmed. Some juice is pressed and poured over the grapes to initiate fermentation. As fermentation progresses, juice is run off into old casks, and more fruit is added to the tank in a continuous fermentation approach. After approximately three weeks, the tank is pressed, capturing the full character of the skins and fruit.

Neal Martin describes Adi Badenhorst as someone who “epitomises the carefree spirit that pervades the [Swartland] region”, a phrase that still doesn’t do justice to a man whose personality is as characterful as the wines he makes. Adi founded A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines in the Paardeberg with his cousin Hein in 2008. He is a champion of attentive farming and minimal intervention winemaking to convey an authentic expression of the Swartland in his wines.