They say every cloud has a silver lining, and if not, just ask David. When life compelled him to alter his plans following a rugby injury, he decided to redirect his career towards viticulture. What initially seemed like a setback turned into the beginning of a passion that led him to work on harvests around the globe, from Marlborough to Saint-Émilion, before eventually returning to South Africa to apply all his knowledge to his homeland. And not only that, for along the way he met Nadia Sadie, with whom he shares both his life and the winemaking venture.
Together they established David & Nadia, a family project in Swartland, a pioneering region north of Cape Town, renowned for its finest expressions of chenin blanc. Their approach marries the tradition of old vineyards with the vision of the new generation of South African winemakers: they cultivate historic plots, such as Plat’bos ("flat forest" in the African language), planted in 1981 on the Paardebosch estate, with shallow granite soils and northern exposure, allowing for early and complete ripening of the chenin. The grapes are handpicked in two rounds, meticulously selecting each cluster to ensure balance and complexity. Each batch is fermented and aged separately in stainless steel tanks before blending, and then matures for 11 months in old, neutral French oak barrels, preserving the wine's purity and freshness.
David & Nadia Plat'Bos is an elegant chenin blanc, with high acidity, refined texture, and pronounced minerality, reflecting not only the uniqueness of Plat’bos but also the passion and vision of two winemakers who have become leading figures of the new generation of South African winemakers.