Chenin Blanc Granietsteen 2024, Scions of Sinai

The 2024 Granietsteen Chenin Blanc from Scions of Sinai is a crystalline expression of old-vine Chenin grown on the granite-rich soils of Sinai Hill in Stellenbosch’s Helderberg subregion. These dry-farmed bushvines were planted in 1978 and are lovingly tended by winemaker Bernhard Bredell with minimal intervention and maximal respect for the land. Whole-bunch pressed and wild-fermented in neutral oak barrels and concrete, the wine is aged on its lees for 11 months, gaining texture and complexity without losing its focused energy.

In the glass, it’s all crushed citrus peel, underripe pear, quince, and chalky minerality, with a flicker of reduction and a spine of brisk acidity. It’s a wine that feels both ancient and fresh—a drinkable geology lesson.

Food-wise, think spring: grilled prawns with lemon aioli, fennel and citrus salad, or roasted cauliflower with tahini and almonds. It’s also a natural fit with soft-ripened goat cheese or even sushi with yuzu kosho.

About the Winery

Scions of Sinai is a boutique winery at the vanguard of South Africa’s New Wave—a movement defined by low-intervention methods, reclaimed heritage vineyards, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity. The project was founded in 2016 by Bernhard Bredell, a seventh-generation winemaker whose family has farmed vines in the Helderberg region of Stellenbosch for over 160 years. After honing his craft in the Rhône Valley, Portugal, and back home in South Africa, Bernhard set out with a singular goal: to produce wines of place—honest, energetic, and rooted in the rugged soils of the Cape.

The heart of Scions of Sinai lies on the lower slopes of Sinai Hill in Faure, a coastal pocket of Stellenbosch shaped by decomposed granite and sea breezes from nearby False Bay. Bernhard also occasionally sources fruit from the Swartland’s Paardeberg region, where similarly old, dry-farmed bush vines cling to the mountainsides. Across all sites, he eschews irrigation, herbicides, and synthetic treatments. Farming is done naturally and by hand, emphasizing deep-rooted, low-yielding vines that fully channel the complexity of their environment.

In the cellar, restraint is the rule. Fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, sulfur is kept to a bare minimum, and aging takes place in old oak barrels that impart no more than a whisper of flavor. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, reflecting Bernhard’s philosophy that good winemaking is more about listening than controlling.

The name “Scions of Sinai” is both a nod to legacy and a statement of intent: “scion” meaning descendant, a reference to both family lineage and grapevine cuttings; and “Sinai” being the hill that anchors his vision. The result is a collection of wines that crackle with tension and transparency—wines that taste like they came from somewhere, not from someone. Today, Bernhard Bredell is recognized as one of the most gifted young winemakers in South Africa, and Scions of Sinai stands as a benchmark for what thoughtful, site-driven Cape wine can be.