Having tasted Kiara Scott Farmer’s wines, having seen her passion and having walked through the cellar with her, I couldn’t be more thrilled when I heard the news! As winemaker at Brookdale Estate for the past five years (and counting), she has been selected as one of six finalists for the 2024 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year competition.
The much-anticipated award will be presented for the wine the judging panel considers to be the best in the Chenin Blanc category. Kiara’s newly released 2022 vintage of Brookdale Estate’s Old Vine Chenin Blanc will therefore be the competing wine.
What makes the Brookdale 2022 Old Vine Chenin Blanc so special?
This Chenin Blanc was crafted from old vine Chenin Blanc (1985) grown on decomposed shale and granite. Kiara has employed minimal winemaking to allow the stony terroir to shine through in this wine. The Chenin Blanc was matured in French oak barrels for eleven months, and then aged on the lees in Austrian oak foudres for a further eleven months. Finally, it was left to mature in the bottle for another four months before release.
This wine works exceptionally well with a duck dish, or even scallops. It’s a versatile wine which Kiara says will pair well with most dishes.
A humbled, yet excited winemaker
“I feel very humbled and excited to be nominated,” Kiara says about being among the selected six. She believes her Chenin Blanc stands a good chance of winning, because it’s an “elegant, concentrated wine with good acidity” despite 2022’s heatwaves.
Looking at the other competitors who have been selected, Kiara says there is definitely competition. “All the winemaker nominees are established, great winemakers and winemakers I have looked up to.”
The Brookdale Estate Terroir
Kiara describes Brookdale’s terroir as “granite soils with clay and quartz.” According to her, it can be quite windy at times, which assists with healthy grape growing. “It’s an interesting site with hills and valleys,” she adds.
Some wine drinking cues from Kiara
While Kiara is a fan of Chenin Blanc for its versatility, she’s currently also enjoying Bordeaux blends. You might also be interested to know that she will soon be releasing another wine – the Brookdale Twenty – which is a twenty varietal red field blend.
P.S. The Bistro at Brookdale Estate has also recently been ranked as one of the most loved restaurants in South Africa, ranking No 7 in the lineup of the Dineplan Reviewers’ Choice Newcomer Award for the Cape Town and Winelands Region 2023. Therefore, I would recommend trying out Kiara Scott Farmer’s wines alongside Chef Gary Coetzee’s delightful cuisine.
The winner of the 2024 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year competition will be announced on 23 November 2024.
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