‘Decent’ is a word that has been muscled out of the language by burly superlatives, but it deserves to be reclaimed, so let’s bring back decency! Once, a ‘decent fellow’ was the very highest stamp of merit to which a chap could aspire. Today, in the frenzy of marketing adjectives, ‘decent’ sounds like damning something with faint praise, so let’s take a moment to celebrate a very decent Grenache Blanc. Is it ‘incredible’, ‘stunning’ or ‘outstanding’? No, but it’s honest, archetypal and delicious. It’s made from 100% Grenache Blanc from the Swartland, where this grape thrives in the deep “koffielip” soils (iron rich decomposed granite from the Paardeberg Mountain). It's an expressive, perky Grenache Blanc with lemon zest and some dainty chalk dust notes on the nose, while on the palate, pithy grapefruit and diced pear duke it out for supremacy and it resolves with a slight saline tang thanks to the coastal influence on the vineyards. It’s a thoroughly good egg and incongruously good value. Another example of why South Africa is such great value for money. 12.5% alc. Drink now – 2025.