The brandnetel (Urtica dioica ) – or stinging nettle – is steeped in dualities: both fierce and soft; painful and restorative; tenacious yet humble. This often-overlooked weed brings magic to fairytales, protection in folklore and vitality to soils. Inspired by these dualities, this unique wine, made from Chenin Blanc vines perched on the slopes overlooking Stellenbosch, serves as a reminder that magic is woven into every life from the soil to the glass. The vineyard was planted in 1980 and is a living library of historical rootstocks with over 33 different rootstocks in this old experimental plot.

The grapes were handpicked, delicately whole-bunch pressed and naturally fermented. Only the free run juice was fermented in third-pass French oak barrels. The lees was stirred for the first month, after which the wine was allowed to mature on the lees for 9 months prior to bottling, unfined, with just a gentle sheet filtration and small dosage of sulfur.