Old Vines Colombar
LANGPAD 2023
     R395 per bottle

LANGPAD COLOMBARD 2023 — Frequently Asked Questions

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1. What is Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023?
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Langpad 2023 is a premium old vine white wine from Naudé Wines — 100% Colombard, sourced from a single certified old vine vineyard planted in 1983 near Vredendal on South Africa's West Coast. The name is Afrikaans for "the long road," reflecting both Ian Naudé's journey championing Colombard as a serious fine wine variety — a grape historically used for bulk wine and brandy production — and the wine's own capacity to develop over time. Now in its fourth vintage, it's made with minimal intervention and natural fermentation, and Greg Sherwood MW has compared the 2023 to Greece's Assyrtiko for its pronounced minerality and maritime salinity — a striking reference point for a South African Colombard.

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2. What does Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023 taste like?
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The nose opens with crushed granite and white flowers, layered with dried herbs, yellow citrus and waxy yellow apples, before more pronounced coastal notes of sea spray, dried kelp and oyster shell emerge with time in the glass — the signature of fruit grown 35km from the Atlantic. On the palate, it's cool, crisp and pure, with a fleshy glycerol concentration balanced by tangy, precise acidity. Expect white peach, nectarine, melon, guava, lemongrass and lime leaf — a "summer fruit salad" character — finishing with an understated brush of salinity that keeps you reaching for the next sip.

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3. Where do the grapes come from, and is this an old vine wine?
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Yes — the Colombard vines were planted in 1983 on sandy soils near Vredendal, roughly 35km from the Atlantic Ocean, and are certified Heritage Vineyards under South Africa's Old Vine Project. Their age matters: decades of root growth let them draw minerals from deep in the soil and naturally self-regulate into smaller, more concentrated yields. The vineyard's proximity to the cold Benguela Current is just as important — cooling sea breezes and salt-laden marine air give the wine its distinctive saline, maritime character, a quality that comes directly from the site rather than from anything done in the cellar.

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4. Is Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023 dry, and can it age?
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At 3.92 g/L residual sugar and 6.53 g/L acidity, it tastes fully dry and crisp in practice, with the natural acidity comfortably outweighing any perception of sweetness. That same acid structure — along with old vine concentration and a light 11.5% alcohol — gives it real ageing potential; Greg Sherwood MW noted its capacity to develop further in bottle. It's genuinely enjoyable young, but two or three bottles are well worth putting away for three to five years or more.

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5. How does it compare to Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc?
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Compared to Chenin Blanc, Langpad is lighter and more linear — 11.5% alcohol against the 13–14% common in serious Chenin — with sharper acidity and a more mineral, citrus-driven profile rather than Chenin's richer stone-fruit and honey character. Compared to Sauvignon Blanc, it offers similar freshness but more depth and texture, opening slowly in the glass rather than announcing itself all at once, and with real cellaring potential that most Sauvignon Blanc doesn't have. Its defining feature against both is a saline, maritime character — that kelp and oyster-shell note — that neither variety typically shows to the same degree.

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6. What food pairs well with Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023?
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Seafood is the natural match, echoing the wine's own coastal character — West Coast oysters, grilled linefish (snoek, kabeljou, yellowtail), mussels, calamari, prawns, and sushi or sashimi all work beautifully. Beyond seafood, its freshness and lighter alcohol suit lemon-and-herb chicken, Thai or Vietnamese dishes with citrus and coconut, charcuterie and fresh cheeses, and herb-driven vegetarian dishes like pea risotto or grilled asparagus. It's a genuinely versatile food wine, equally at home at a relaxed summer table or paired more deliberately with a seafood platter.

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7. How is Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023 made?
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Langpad follows the same minimal-intervention philosophy behind every Naudé wine. Grapes are hand-picked into small baskets, then whole-bunch pressed for clean, pure juice. Rather than commercial yeast, the wine ferments naturally with wild yeasts — a slower process that produces greater complexity and a more authentic reflection of the vineyard. It's then kept on its lees for an extended period, building texture and roundness, with nothing added beyond a small amount of sulphites for stability — no fining, no flavour enhancers, no corrections.

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8. What have critics said about Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023?
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Master of Wine Greg Sherwood gave the 2023 vintage his strongest praise yet for the wine, comparing it to Greece's Assyrtiko — one of the world's most celebrated maritime white wines — for its phenolic minerality and salinity. He highlighted the wine's crushed granite and white flower aromatics, its fleshy glycerol concentration balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and its excellent ageing potential. For a 100% Colombard from a region better known for bulk production than fine wine, that level of critical recognition is a significant statement about both the wine and the West Coast terroir it comes from.

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9. Where can I buy Naudé Langpad Colombard 2023?
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Langpad 2023 is available directly from our online shop in two formats: the standard 750ml bottle at R395, and a 1.5L magnum at R995, ideal for entertaining, gifting or cellaring.
For enquiries, contact hello@naudewines.co.za or call +27 (0)72 914 3359.
International shipping is available on request.