Colour: Green with tinges of gold.
Bouquet: Pronounced minerality, earthiness, nuts, notes of citrus and peach.
Taste: Lively citrus and nutty flavours, pronounced fruitiness and vibrant acidity with flashes of orange and toasted nuts.
Delicate creamy dishes will work well with this wine, as will piquant poultry and seafood dishes.
in the vineyard : Viticulturists: Adian Fry and Hennie van der Westhuizen
To be certified as organic, fruit must be grown organically for at least three years. The 10 hectares of Chardonnay have been farmed organically since 2001 and are accredited organic by the Swiss-based international body, Sociétè Génèrale de Surveillance (SGS).
Papkuilsfontein Vineyards, situated just 25 kms from the sea, enjoys relatively cool temperatures. The vineyards are cooled by maritime breezes while a range of hillocks protects the vines from the sometimes damaging effects of the south-easter. In addition, the farm has an above-average rainfall for the West Coast.
The deep, red Tukulu soils here have excellent water retention properties and ensure the dryland vines are not unduly water-stressed.
The grapes for this wine come from an unirrigated block, planted in 1998 and trellised on a three-wire hedge system. Suckering and tipping of the vines ensured good aeration, light penetration and bud fertility.
about the harvest: The vines, yielding 6 tons per hectare, were hand-harvested at 24.5° Balling in early March.
in the cellar : The Chardonnay was entirely wood-fermented, spending six months on the lees in a combination of first and second-fill French 300 litre oak barrels. (No malolactic fermentation was induced in order to retain the primary fresh fruit character of the wine). The wine was stirred on the lees once a week for the first month and thereafter a fortnightly batonnage regime was followed to ensure a creamy consistency and greater complexity. Only the very best barrels were chosen for the final assemblage.