False Bay Chardonnay 2012

Name: False Bay Chardonnay 2012
Brand: False Bay
SKU: 32030

Unoaked. The aim is to make a wine that showcases fresh, pure characters. Simple, pure flavours of lime and citrus dominate and the richness on the palate is well balanced by the crisp acidity.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]

winery : Waterkloof

winemaker : Werner Engelbrecht

wine of origin : Western Cape

analysis : alc : 14 % vol rs : 2.9 g/l pH : 3.36 ta : 5.61 g/l

type : White

pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Screwcap

AWARDS

in the vineyard : We selected vineyards in the Robertson area for this wine. Chardonnay has over the years become synonymous with the Robertson area. Vineyards from the chalky Robertson soils tend to produce wines with good concentration and minerality which is very important for us.

THE 2011/2012 GROWING SEASON
Winter seems to be the foundation on which every new season is built. It sets up the vines for the coming growing season and its effects can be felt throughout the growing season. We experienced very cold weather in the early part of winter, which allowed for even bud break in Spring. Vines did bud a bit earlier than normal due to the warmer weather experienced during the latter part of winter. Rainfall was very low during the winter period which is always a problem in areas where we rely on winter rains for our dams as well as to fill up the ground water levels. The dry conditions followed through into summer with a smaller crop the result. Very warm weather in early January caused sunburn in dry land areas and had a negative effect on the size of the crop. Fortunately the warm spell was followed by cooler temperatures for the rest of the ripening period. Grapes could ripen properly and harvest started about two weeks later than normal due to the cool growing conditions during the final ripening period.

about the harvest: Hand harvesting was done only in the early morning.

in the cellar : Grapes were de-stemmed and the juice separated from skins using a bag press. Settling took place overnight at a temperature of approx 12 degrees C. The juice was fermented at a temperature between 16 to 18 degrees C. After completion of fermentation, it was left on the primary lees for another month in order to add more weight and complexity to the wine. It was then sulphured and left to age on the fine lees until bottling.

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