CHENIN BLANC · SWARTLAND
Where ancient termites shaped the earth, a wine grows with a voice of its own.
Reserve Kraaltjies 2026
THE STORY
Thousands of years in the making.
Long before the first vine was planted in this soil, termites were already at work here. Over thousands of years, their ancient nests — known today as the distinctive “kraaltjies” — enriched the ground in a way found nowhere else in the vineyard.
Kraaltjies is 100% picked from bush vines standing within these circles: Old Vine, planted in 1981, dryland, unirrigated. Vines that found their own way to water — and with it, a character that cannot be imitated.
The kraaltjie circles, seen from above
THE PERSON BEHIND THE WINE
Johann Smit reads the soil
On drives between Swartland vineyards, Johann Smit kept noticing small circles in the landscape. Between Malmesbury and Darling lie some of these kraaltjies, the remains of ancient termite nests. They left Johann with a question. Why did the vines inside the circles behave differently from those just a few steps away?
After graduating from Stellenbosch University, Johann spent twenty years at Spier. In the Swartland he compared the soil inside and outside the kraaltjies. He also saw that bush vines inside the circles held on to their leaves longer after harvest.
Kraaltjies grew out of that curiosity. For his first Chenin Blanc, Johann used only grapes from the old bush vines inside the circles and left the wine unoaked. Each bottle holds something of the place where he spent years looking closer and asking questions.
Read more · Johann’s profile · The story of the kraaltjies · Review of the 2025 vintage
THE WINE
Two vintages, one story.
The 2026 Chenin Blanc is now available at R370 per bottle. The debut 2025 vintage is sold out.
NOW AVAILABLE
Kraaltjies Chenin Blanc 2026
2026 – The cheerful adventurer
A wine that throws open the windows and lets in the fresh air. Lively, young and full of life. It comes over for a visit and brings the sunshine with it.
Picked on a cool Swartland morning, after an exceptionally dry season. The kraaltjie vines proved it again: they hold their own for longer. Unoaked, terroir-driven, strictly limited.
R370 per bottle
SOLD OUT
Kraaltjies Chenin Blanc 2025
2025 – The unhurried storyteller
A wine in no hurry. It pulls up a chair, makes itself comfortable and invites you to stay a little longer. Each sip feels like a conversation you don’t want to end.
The debut vintage. Sold out within three months. 90/100 (Winemag). Notes of quince, pear and peach — clean and fruit-driven, with a subtly creamy texture.
90/100 — Winemag.co.za
PRESS & REVIEWS
“Well balanced and broadly appealing.”
WINEMAG.CO.ZA — 90/100
“Gogga-terroir krioel in die Kaap.”
DIE BURGER — EMILE JOUBERT
“The Earth’s Secret Architects: Termites and the Wines They Made Possible.”
WINEGOGGLE
RESERVE
Made in small quantities.
Going directly to those who know the story.
Let us know how many bottles or cases you’d like to reserve — we’ll reply personally.
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