The Producer
The Alvis Drift Reserve CVC comes from a family estate in the Scherpenheuvel ward of the Breede River Valley, outside Worcester. The farm takes its name from a low-water bridge across the Breede, built in 1930 by Oupa Alvi van der Merwe, grandfather of the estate’s current winemaker. The Reserve range is the cellar’s showcase tier, made with a low-intervention, unhurried approach that lets fruit and site do the talking.
Vintage & Terroir
The 2023 fruit was grown in the cooler southern pocket of the Scherpenheuvel ward, where night air moderates an otherwise warm inland climate. Alluvial, shale and sandy loam soils sit alongside rocky, well-draining slopes, concentrating flavour in lower-yielding blocks. It is that cool window, rare for the Breede River Valley, that lets Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay ripen slowly enough to hold their acidity while building depth.
In the Cellar
Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay are fermented and matured separately before blending. The Viognier stays unoaked to keep its aromatic lift, while the Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay spend around eleven months in barrel, a third of it new — enough to add texture without masking the fruit. Each variety is handled to its own needs, so all three still show themselves in the final blend.
Tasting Notes
Pale lemon in the glass, with a hint of lime green. The nose opens on stewed quince and apple, honeysuckle and creamy lemon curd, with an oat-biscuit savouriness underneath. The palate is structured and well-rounded, zesty acidity keeping the fruit fresh through a long finish. Rated 94/100, 4.5 stars, Outstanding — Platter’s By Diners Club Wine Guide, 2026 edition (https://www.wineonaplatter.com/wine/detail/166683).
Food Pairing
The CVC’s texture and acidity make it a flexible table wine: pour it with mild curries, Cape Malay dishes, roast pork, or chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce. It holds its own against soft cheeses too — chèvre, Gouda, Emmental, even a creamy Gorgonzola. Order your case and keep the Tribe fed.
