Asara Chardonnay Reserve 2001

Asara Chardonnay spends around 12 months in the barrel on the yeast lees for rich complexity. There is elegance and power in the fresh citrus and creamy vanilla aromas that lead to a palate where the taste of lemon with integrated French oak lasts and lasts. Well-balanced, crisp and lingering.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]

winery : Asara Wine Estate and Hotel

winemaker : Jan van Rooyen

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol rs : 2.3 g/l pH : 3.30 ta : 5.5 g/l

type : White style : Dry wooded

pack : Bottle

AWARDS

Veritas 2007 - Bronze

in the vineyard : The terroir and meso-climate of Asara Estate is fully expressed in this Chardonnay. A well managed canopy and excellent vineyard treatment by our viticulturist, Pieter Rossouw and his team enabled us to harvest at full ripeness. As a result, Asara Chardonnay has realised the full potential of this variety.

Age: 9 years old
Clone: CY3 and CY5
Rootstock: Richter 99 & 110
Soil type: Tukulu and Oakleaf yellow brown
Trellising: Extended double Perold
Plant spacing: 1.2m x 2.5m

about the harvest: Selective handpicking and a 50% wholebunch pressing gave a harvesting analysis of 24º Balling, 6.3 g/l acidity and 3.45 pH.

in the cellar : After harvesting a short period of skin contact at low temperature preceded a delicate pressing cycle in the pneumatic press. Settling in stainless steel tanks for 48 hours provided a high quality clear juice prior to fermentation. The recovery was 541 litres per ton of grapes.

Our Chardonnay is made in a rich and full-flavoured style. We enhance the richness and depth of flavour by innoculating with a Burgundian yeast strain, by exclusively using French oak barrels and by keeping the wine in contact with the yeast lees for 12 months (a true sur lie ). The ratio of new to second-fill oak was 50:50. After maturation, the barrels were emptied into a tank and the wine was stabilised and bulkfiltered before bottling.

Estate bottled on 5 August 2002.

email the winery

email this page

find our wines in :