Colour: Golden yellow with faint green tinges.
Bouquet: Concentrated citrus aromas of lemons and limes dominate with peach and melon background notes. The time spent in wood together with lees contact added nuances of butterscotch, nuts and caramel.
Taste: Upfront citrus and pineapple with sweet vanilla following through on the palate.
Enjoy with richer fish such as yellow-tail or salmon baked in cream and mushrooms. It is delicious with roast pork, apple sauce and crackling; with veal chops braised in the Chardonnay and tarragon. It is delightful on its own as it has not been over-wooded. Serve chilled at 12° - 14° C but not too cold!
variety : Chardonnay [ 92% Chardonnay, 8% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : Estelle Lourens
wine of origin : Simonsberg
analysis : alc : 13.74 % vol rs : 2.80 g/l pH : 3.33 ta : 7.00 g/l va : 0.52 g/l
type : White style : Dry wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
Uitkyk Estate, situated on the south-western slopes of the Simonsberg, was established in 1712. The estate's neo-classical manor house, completed in 1788, is thought to be the work of the French architect Louis Michel Thibault, who was active at the Cape at the end of the 18th century. The estate is jointly owned by Distell and LUSAN.
Vineyard Location
Uitkyk Estate is 600ha in size with 140ha under vines. An interesting variety of cultivars are planted on the estate: Chardonnay, Sémillon, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Mourvédre, Petit Verdot and Pinot noir. All the vineyards are planted in deep red, decomposed granite soil.
The Chardonnay grapes were sourced from three south-facing vineyards, situated some 260 to 320 m above sea level. The vines, 13 to 15 years old at the time of harvesting, are grafted onto nematode-resistant Richter 99 rootstocks and are grown in soils originating from decomposed granite. They are trellised on a seven-wire system and received supplementary irrigation during the growing season. The yield was restricted to 7 tons per hectare to enhance the quality and complexity of the fruit.
Eight percent Sémillon was added to add to the body and complexity of the wine.
about the harvest: The grapes were harvested from mid - February till mid - March at 22.5° - 24° Balling. The yields ranged from a very low 4 - 7 tons/ha, which further enhanced the quality and complexity of the fruit.
in the cellar : Minimal skin contact was allowed and only the free-run juice was used. Fermentation was started with pure yeast cultures (VIN7, D47 and DV10) after which the wine was transferred to wood. Fermentation was completed after eight days and the wine was left on the lees for a period of eight months in 29% new oak, 38% second-fill and 33% third-fill French oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation took place. During the maturation period the lees were stirred every two weeks.