{"title":"A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines | Swartland","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: start; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/AA_Badenhorst_Property_Banner.jpg?v=1769711551\" alt=\"AA Badenhorst Vineyards in Swartland South Africa\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIf the Swartland revolution had a headquarters, it would be Kalmoesfontein. And if it had a spiritual leader, it would be Adi Badenhorst. To describe Adi as merely a \"winemaker\" is to miss the point entirely. He is a farmer, a custodian, and the \"Chief Parrot\" of the Paardeberg. After cutting his teeth at Château Angélus and Rustenberg, Adi (along with his cousin Hein) retreated to a run-down farm on the granite slopes of the Swartland in 2008. They weren't looking for perfection; they were looking for texture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLife on Kalmoesfontein: \u003c\/b\u003eThe farm itself is a living, breathing ecosystem of organized chaos. It is a place where chickens, donkeys, and dogs roam free among some of the oldest vines in South Africa. The soils here - 500-million-year-old decomposed granite and iron-rich 'koffieklip' - are unforgiving but magical. They force the roots of the ancient bush vines deep into the earth, resulting in wines that don't just taste of fruit; they taste of the land itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAdi’s philosophy is deceptively simple: \"The better you know your vines, the less work you need to do.\" There is no recipe here. The winemaking is strictly minimal intervention. Fermentations are spontaneous, often taking place in old concrete tanks or large oak foudres that have seen more vintages than most of us have seen hot dinners. The goal is not to polish the wine, but to capture the raw, honest energy of the Swartland sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Wines\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Secateurs:\u003c\/b\u003e Arguably the best value wines in the Southern Hemisphere. The Chenin Blanc is the benchmark for the region—textured, honeyed, and utterly smashable. The Red (a Cinsault-led blend) is the ultimate \"Wednesday Night\" pour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Family Wines:\u003c\/b\u003e The \"Kalmoesfontein\" White and Red are the serious stuff. These are field blends, harvested together and co-fermented to create a snapshot of the farm in a single vintage. They are waxy, savoury, and built to age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Single Vineyards:\u003c\/b\u003e For the aficionados, there is the 'Raaigras' Grenache which hails from the oldest Grenache vines in South Africa (1952). The name - Afrikaans for Ryegrass - is a cheeky phonetic nod to the world’s most legendary Grenache estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the wine follows suit: pale, ethereal, and deceptively powerful. The ‘Grensloos’ Chenin Blanc, described by Adi as “the cream of the crop”, is sourced from bush vines planted between 1966 and 1978 on decomposed granite. These yield around two tonnes per hectare, resulting in a granitic intensity and layers of beeswax, green apple and wet stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePapegaai, \u003c\/b\u003enamed after the endangered Cape Parrot (Papegaai in Afrikaans), is a passion project for Adi, who donates a portion of sales to their conservation. It is a wine that, like its namesake, is colourful, spirited, and impossible to ignore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAt Hic!, we love these wines because they have a pulse. They are not manufactured; they are grown. Whether you are cracking a bottle of Secateurs or cellaring a Raaigras, you are drinking a piece of history from the most exciting winemaker in Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center; margin-top: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA.A. Badenhorst Family Wines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-a-badenhorst-secateurs-chenin-blanc","title":"A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc is widely regarded as the wine that put the Swartland revolution on the map for everyday drinkers. Crafted by the charismatic Adi Badenhorst at the Kalmoesfontein farm, this isn't just a \"budget\" white wine - it is a serious introduction to old vine viticulture. Most entry-level wines are made from young, high-yielding vines, but not this one! The fruit for Secateurs comes from old bush vines planted in the 1960s and 70s on decomposed granite soils. These gnarly old stumps yield less fruit, but the grapes they do produce are packed with concentration and character. Forget thin, watery whites. This has texture. It pours a glistening straw colour and immediately throws out aromas of honey, orange blossom, and white peach. On the palate, it has a lovely waxy weight - almost creamy - balanced by a zip of electric acidity that keeps it refreshing. It finishes with a savoury, flinty grip that screams of the granite soils it grew in. [#intro]Grown on ancient granite, this is the benchmark Swartland Chenin: textured, honeyed \u0026amp; utterly smashable...[\/intro]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"A.A. Badenhorst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57760391790973,"sku":"A25AABADENHORSTSECATEUSCHENIN","price":16.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/SecateursChenin.jpg?v=1769716718"},{"product_id":"a-a-badenhorst-secateurs-red-blend","title":"A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrapes for the A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend are sourced from Jakkalsfontein and Kalmoesfontein, located in the Paardeberg area of Swartland. This Red Blend is a testament to Adi Badenhorst’s minimalist approach in the cellar. By blending Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon with a portion of Cinsault, he has created a wine that is remarkably lithe and perfumed for a South African red. Expect a nose of crushed violets, cracked black pepper, and sun-warmed earth. On the palate, it’s all about texture. The Cinsault provides a silky, translucent red-fruit core, while the Syrah and Cabernet bring a darker, more brooding backbone of spice and structure. It’s a wine that prioritises drinkability without sacrificing an ounce of its rugged, Swartland character. [#intro]A soulful Swartland blend of Shiraz, Cabernet \u0026amp; Cinsault, delivering raw bramble fruit \u0026amp; spicy grip...[\/intro]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"A.A. Badenhorst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57779477381501,"sku":"A25BADENHORSTSECATEURSRED","price":16.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/files\/SecateursRed.jpg?v=1770061372"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0106\/1539\/0266\/collections\/AA_Badenhorst_Winery_Logo.jpg?v=1769711741","url":"https:\/\/hic.wine\/collections\/a-a-badenhorst.oembed","provider":"Hic!","version":"1.0","type":"link"}