Darling Cellars Lime Kilns Chenin Blanc 2025

Darling Cellars is a cooperative winery based in the small West Coast town of Darling, where the vineyards benefit from the region's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its Mediterranean-style climate. The area's ancient granite soils, cool coastal influence and dry conditions are particularly well suited to Chenin Blanc, helping to produce wines with ripe fruit, natural freshness and a distinctive sense of place. Darling Cellars works with growers farming dry-land, deep-rooted bush vines, allowing the character of these old soils and coastal vineyards to come through in the wines. The Lime Kilns Chenin Blanc 2025 is made by Darling Cellars winemakers Anthony Meduna and André Scriven. The fruit comes from south-west-facing, unirrigated bush-vine vineyards planted in deep granite soils. In the cellar, the grapes are crushed and destemmed before receiving 6–12 hours of skin contact. Fermentation takes place over approximately 21 days at 13°C, followed by time on the lees in stainless-steel tanks. This combination preserves the wine's fresh fruit while adding the creamy texture and depth that are characteristic of the Lime Kilns style. The name Lime Kilns refers to the traditional lime kilns once common along the West Coast, where mussel shells were burned to produce lime for whitewash and building materials. It is a fitting name for a wine rooted in the history and landscape of Darling.

Colour: Bright straw yellow with a youthful golden-green hue.
Nose: Fresh green apple and guava lead the aromatics, followed by quince and ripe yellow peach. There is a gentle citrus freshness underneath the fruit, with a subtle creamy character emerging as the wine opens.
Palate: Full-bodied and dry, with generous layers of green apple, guava, quince and ripe peach. The wine has a rounded, creamy texture from its skin contact and lees ageing, while lively acidity provides freshness and keeps the richness in check. The deep granite soils and coastal growing conditions contribute a subtle mineral freshness beneath the fruit.
Finish: Long and lingering, with ripe peach and guava giving way to fresh apple and a gentle creamy impression.