Capensis Chardonnay 2021
€48.50 In Bond TA 98
Single Bottle Due In
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CapensisWestern Cape, South Africa
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Capensis is redefining South African Chardonnay at the highest level.
Capensis is one of the most focused and critically recognised wine projects in South Africa: a single-wine Chardonnay produced through a collaboration between Anthonij Rupert Wyne, one of the most respected South African wine families, and Jackson Family Wines, one of the most accomplished and internationally celebrated producers of Chardonnay in California. The result of this combination of South African terroir expertise and Californian cool-climate Chardonnay mastery has received 98 points from Tim Atkin, one of the highest scores ever awarded to a South African white wine, and confirmed Capensis as a genuinely world-class Chardonnay of international significance.
Tim Atkin placed Capensis as a Second Growth in his 2025 Cape Classification, recognition that places it among the most accomplished and consistently excellent white wine producers in the Cape.
Estate at a Glance
Capensis is a collaboration between Anthonij Rupert Wyne (South Africa) and Jackson Family Wines (California, USA). One wine is produced: the Capensis Chardonnay, from Western Cape vineyard sources. 98 points Tim Atkin. Tim Atkin Second Growth 2025. Production is deliberately small and the wine is allocated.
The Collaboration
The Capensis collaboration is built on a specific and clearly articulated proposition: that the finest cool-climate sites of the Western Cape, farmed with the precision and philosophical rigour that two world-class wine families can bring to bear, are capable of producing Chardonnay of a quality and individuality that competes directly with the finest expressions of the variety from Burgundy or anywhere else in the wine world.
Anthonij Rupert Wyne brings deep knowledge of the Western Cape's most compelling Chardonnay terroirs and an intimate understanding of what the Cape's cool-climate sites produce across different soil types and aspects. Jackson Family Wines brings decades of experience producing world-class Chardonnay in California's most celebrated cool-climate appellations, a technical mastery of the variety's specific cellar requirements and an international perspective on what great Chardonnay looks like from both a production and a collector standpoint.
The name Capensis references the Cape of Good Hope, acknowledging the specific South African identity of the wine whilst positioning it as a wine of international ambition and significance.
The Chardonnay
Capensis is produced from Western Cape Chardonnay sources selected for their exceptional cool-climate character and the quality of the fruit they consistently produce across vintage variations. The winemaking is calibrated to the specific character of each vintage's fruit rather than to a fixed stylistic template, allowing the natural expression of the Western Cape cool-climate terroir to emerge with maximum clarity.
The wine is aged in French oak, with new oak proportions calibrated carefully to develop the textural complexity and aromatic depth that extended barrel maturation contributes without dominating the natural freshness and mineral precision of the cool-climate fruit. The result is a Chardonnay of considerable structure and concentration in youth, with the natural acidity and mineral depth to develop over eight to twelve years of careful cellaring into a wine of extraordinary complexity and sustained aromatic interest.
Tim Atkin's 98-point score places Capensis alongside the finest Chardonnays produced anywhere in South Africa and confirms that the ambition of the collaboration is matched by the achievement of the wine. At 98 points, Capensis belongs in conversations about world-class Chardonnay that go well beyond the South African context.
Why Buy Capensis?
Capensis is the most internationally credible Chardonnay produced in South Africa, confirmed by 98-point recognition from Tim Atkin and Second Growth classification in the 2025 Cape Classification. For collectors who approach South African wine through the lens of their experience with great Burgundy or Californian Chardonnay, Capensis provides the most direct point of quality comparison available from any Cape white wine producer, in a single wine of exceptional focus and consistent excellence.
All Capensis wines purchased through Fine Wine Library are held In Bond, excise duty free, with guaranteed provenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes Capensis?
Capensis is a collaboration between Anthonij Rupert Wyne and Jackson Family Wines of California, combining South African terroir expertise with internationally acclaimed Chardonnay winemaking perspective.
What score has Capensis received?
Tim Atkin awarded Capensis Chardonnay 98 points, one of the highest scores ever given to a South African white wine, and placed the estate as a Second Growth in his 2025 Cape Classification.
How long should Capensis be cellared?
The Capensis Chardonnay develops significantly over eight to twelve years, the considerable structure and natural acidity of the cool-climate fruit integrating into a wine of extraordinary complexity and sustained aromatic depth.
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