variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Carl Schultz
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.02 % vol rs : 2.1 g/l pH : 3.35 ta : 5.8 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Mineral wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : This limited volume wine originates from one of the six vineyard parcels that are planted on deep, red clay "Tukulu" loam soils. The parcel is located on the Estate’s west-facing, 12% slope at 219 meters above sea level. The selected parcel comprises one, Burgundian, clone planted in 1997. Cellarmaster, Carl Schultz, selected the specific clone for it’s consistent quality and unique flavour profile .
The wine is named "The Eleanor" in honour of Eleanor Finlayson, the matriarch of the Finlayson family and who with her husband Maurice, were previous owners of the Estate when it’s wines were known as Montagne. With the assistance of Headman, Eleanor planted a number of vineyards at the Estate during her tenure, and after this she was present in the tasting room, having travelled from her home by way of Muizenberg to have her daily swim, regaling visitors with stories of the wine industry past. To this day visitors still ask after her and Montagne.
in the cellar : The bunches were de-stemmed and lightly crushed. The grapes were immediately pressed, gravity settled overnight, inoculated with yeast and transferred to barrels for fermentation. Fermentation lasted 2 weeks with temperatures in the 16° - 18° C range. The wine was left on the fermentation lees for the full period in wood. Barrels were stirred every two weeks for the first six months and once monthly thereafter. The wine was given a light fining and filtration prior to bottling.