The balance of the fresh citrus fruits and rich melon characters give the wine a full rounded palate that combines well with the subtle creaminess and nuttiness of the gentle oak. The natural acidity follows through to a fresh and clean finish. Serve at 8º - 10ºC.
Enjoy now with seafood, salmon, roast chicken, Thai-food and pork.
variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Francois Weich
wine of origin : Breede River
analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 2.6 g/l pH : 3.23 ta : 6.14 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant wooded
pack : Bottle
in the vineyard : Chardonnay grapes were the first grapes harvested in 2006 and were brought to the cellar in the first week of February. Our Chardonnay vines are planted higher up against the mountains on gravelly Karoo soils with some clay and lime fractions. The high lime content in the soil ensures a healthy well-drained growing medium for our vines. Chardonnay traditionally buds irregularly, therefore pruning only happens at the end of July to ensure even budding.
Vintage
Incredible healthy grapes of excellent quality to produce outstanding wines - this is how the 2006 vintage will be remembered. As in 2005, the season started with very little winter rainfall in Robertson, but this time around, enough rain fell in the Brandvleidam catchment area to ensure sufficient water supply.
Early and even budbreak occurred and due to lots of wind and a cooler growing season only moderate vineyard vigour was achieved. The prevailing strong wind induced stress on the grapevines which had a positive effect on wine quality, as it led to smaller, looser bunches with fewer, smaller and more concentrated berries. The 2006 crop was a little bigger than in 2005, but is till smaller than an average crop. This is mainly due to the smaller, looser bunches with smaller berries.
Optimum ripeness was reached at lower sugar levles due to the cooler ripening period. Especially the night temperatures were lower than normal. This, coupled with the smaller berries, ensured excellent red wine quality.
2006 will be a vintage to be remembered.
in the cellar : Twenty percent of the blend was fermented on wood and the balance in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 12°C for 19 days. Wine was left on the lees for 80 days to add complexity. Twenty percent of the wine was matured on French oak for 6 months.
Oak maturation: 20% for 6 months
Fermentation temp: 13º - 15ºC