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De Wetshof Calcrete Chardonnay 2024

Calcrete Chardonnay is exclusive to the limestone-rich wine appellation between Bonnievale and Robertson. Here the distinctive terroir ranges from calcareous out crops to arid, broken-shale, both features resulting from ancient petrified maritime deposits. Calcrete defines the wines from this unique Chardonnay region, their crystal line character, nuances of wet stone, saline palate and oysters hell minerality being highlighted by the linear unwooded profile.

As a culinary companion, Calcrete Chardonnay is superb with oysters, fish, salads and poultry dishes.
variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Peter de Wet
wine of origin : Robertson
analysis : alc : 13.81 % vol  rs : 1.7 g/l  pH : 3.41  ta : 6.5 g/l  so2 : 33 mg/l  fso2 : 75 mg/l  
type : White  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Mineral  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Screwcap  

ageing : 3 - 5 years

De Wetshof is a third generation wine estate in South Africa's Robertson Valley, where wine has been made for over 150 years. Here Danie de Wet, proprietor and cellarmaster, is assisted by sons and co-owners Johann (viticulture and marketing) and Peter (winemaker). De Wetshof Estate is a pioneer of noble white wines in South Africa and has also introduced superior red cultivars to the Robertson Wine Valley.

On De Wetshof a firm belief prevails, namely that one cannot know where you are going unless you know where you have come from. This is why the history of De Wetshof's vineyards plays a profound role in determining present and future wine quality. Since the early 1970'smeticulous records have been kept on each vineyard as to the plants’ reaction to soil-types, irrigation and the vagaries of climate, as well as their development and progress over the years. Each vineyard is thus vinified separately during the wine-making process, the wine-makers having a clear understanding of what the fruit of each vineyard's labour is going to deliver during a specific year.

This commitment to site-specific vineyard management and wine-making has been an integral part of the De Wetshof ethos from the outset and remains a vita land non-negotiable aspect of all the Estate's wines.
in the vineyard : An abundance of free limestone is complemented by a heavy clay component ensuring excellent water-retention and adding structure and fullness to the wines. These soils have the highest free lime content and the highest pH of all the soils on De Wetshof. This adds complexity and structure to the wines, allowing optimum varietal expression with classic Chardonnay flavours of soft grape fruit and nuts.

Age of the vines: 7 -22 years
Vines per hectare: 4000 and 4500
Rootstock: Richter 99 and Richter 110
Planting row: 2,4m x 1m and 1,83m x 1,2m
Soil pH: 7,8 - 8,5
Trellising style: 6 wire fence system cordon with spur pruning
about the harvest: The grapes are picked in the coolness of morning, with the emphasis on capturing the natural complexities of the Chardonnay grape immediately for the making of this un-wooded wine.

Yeild: 5 - 8 tons per hectare
in the cellar : 

Once de-stemming, pressing and overnight settling are complete, the juice is racked-off from the sediment and pumped into stainless steel tanks for the alcohol fermentation. After fermentation, the wine is left on the lees under controlled temperatures. Weekly stirring of the lees ensures maximum flavours are released into the wine until the wines are ready for bottling.
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