in the vineyard : The grapes selected for this premium Chardonnay were sourced from Vergelegen’s Korhaan, Rooiland, Rocklands and Slanghoek vineyards, as well as vineyards in Walker Bay, Darling and Elgin.
in the cellar : Grapes were whole-bunch pressed and not given any skin contact. The juice, slightly clarified, was racked into 20% new French oak barrels (Francois Frère, Dargaud & Jaegle and Mercurey) and 50% second, third and fourth fill barrels for alcoholic fermentation. The Slanghoek and a portion of the Rooiland grapes were tank fermented because of their delicate structures. The remainder of Vergelegen, as well as Elgin, Walker Bay and Darling were fermented in barrel, using a combination of cultured yeasts and feral fermentations. The young wine was matured for 6 months on the lees in both tank and barrel before bottling on 26/27 August 2010.