Simonsig Aurum Chardonnay 2009

Bright straw colour. An orchard of ripe yellow apples and zesty limes. Blossom notes of lemon cream intertwine with the seductive spicy undertones of the fine selected French oak barrels. The upfront fruit unites with fresh acidity, creating a lingering palate filled with roasted macadamia nuts. The Aurum 2009 is full bodied, handcrafted Chardonnay that displays great finesse and elegance.

Yearning for creamy, rich cheeses, this style Chardonnay complements foods with strong flavours, such as duck å l'orange, crayfish thermidor or smoked haddock in a creamy, saffron infused sauce.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Johan Malan
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.3 % vol  rs : 2.5 g/l  pH : 3.5  ta : 5.6 g/l  
type : White  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS

2008
2011 Veritas: Silver Medal
2011 Chardonnay du Monde 2011: Silver Medal 
2004
2006 Winemakers Choice Awards - Diamond Award
2003
2006 SAA First Class Listing
2006 Chardonnay-du-Monde - Silver Medal
2006 The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show - Bronze Medal

ageing : Delicious to drink now but will reward your patience with deeper complexity over 3 to 5 years from vintage.

Heritage
Simonsig, an early pioneer of Chardonnays in South Africa, released its first Chardonnay vintage in 1978. Based on expert knowledge accumulated over more than 30 years, Simonsig has perfected the combination of the best terroir on the estate and most suitable Chardonnay clones to create a classic wine of exceptional quality. Simonsig's deep red soils and the cool maritime climate of Stellenbosch are perfectly suited to express the nobility of Chardonnay fully.

in the vineyard : A very cold and wet winter with severe storms, high winds, rough seas and heavy snowfalls induced the perfect winter slumber in the vines. Cool spring weather persisted until the normal February heat arrived. Devastating mountain fires rages in the Boland mountains for weeks and a new block planted with the best Burgundian clones started bearing. Ideal weather conditions allowed for perfect ripening. Higher ripeness levels were achieved which is evident in the fuller bodied Chardonnay in 2009.

in the cellar : During maturation in barrels from various top selelcted coopers there will always be a few hidden treasures. It is out of these gems that a final selection of 14 barrels was made for the Aurum 2009. all of these barrels are 225litre and 100% French oak. Natural fermentation occurred in barrel along with 100% malolactic fermentation. Battonage (lees stirring) was done twice a week to ensure optimum complexity. The wine was left to mature fully on the gross lees for a period of 17 months.

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Chardonnay
Chardonnay