Self-taught winemaker and former architect David Trafford's small but stellar production is regularly cited as being among the Cape's very best. David's winemaking philosophy is deceptively simple: to make the best possible wine he can whilst retaining a sense of place. To do this he embraces Stellenbosch's warm, sunny climate and rich, clay soils, noting that his vines are not planted on "the shagged out alluvial plains of the Medoc with their miserable climate". The wines tend to agree with him. They have rich fruit and a juicy ripeness but they are crisply pressed and structured too. His ability to blend New World innovation and Old World methodology can perhaps be best seen in his sweet Straw Wine, which has quickly become one of the Cape's most fiercely sought after wines. This appealing, full-bodied and complex Chenin really shows the grape's potential in South Africa. The nose displays a rich apricot and honey, subtle oak and a fine mineral character. The palate is rich and round with a long finish and with ripe fruit and vanilla oak in perfect harmony. An extremely versatile food wine - excellent with rich fish dishes, sushi and other seafood as well as most subtle white meats or simply on its own! more ↓ less ↑