De Grendel Op die Berg Chardonnay 2014

The wine has a bright green to straw hue. On the nose citrus flavours of grapefruit and marmalade that on palate is well supported by soft vanilla undertones. Great length and weight in the structure of the wine resulting in an ideal food partner.

Great length and weight in the structure of the wine resulting in an ideal food partner.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]

winery : De Grendel Wines

winemaker : Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez

wine of origin : Ceres

analysis : alc : 13.57 % vol rs : 2.2 g/l pH : 3.17 ta : 5.8 g/l

type : White style : Dry wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap

ageing : Potential to mature for the next 4 to 5 years resulting in an even fuller and richer wine.

in the vineyard : Situated on top of the Witzenberg Mountain in Ceres, this Chardonnay vineyard has been established on a family farm famous for apples and pears to add to our current wine range in terms of diversity and complexity. This newly declared appellation is situated 960 meters in altitude, with soft shale soils and extremely cold winters. In some years the soil is completely covered in snow during winter – unique in South Africa and making the climate truly continental and ideal for Chardonnay in particular.

Vintage
The 2014 growing season will be remembered for consecutive rain showers around every fortnight. Due to this good water reserve in the soil the growth was quite substantial, which in return was responsible for the extra work in the vineyards in the form of leaf and shoot plugging. The 2014 crop was on average 20% higher in the industry due to the good rain showers and a lack of wind in the flowering period.

From veraison onwards it was a normal ripening year with short heat spikes, but luckily due to our proximity to the ocean playing a moderate role, it ended up being a well-balanced vintage.

about the harvest: Grapes are all hand-picked and brought to De Grendel. The fruit is in an immaculate condition due to the cool ripening temperatures.

in the cellar : In the cellar the grapes are crushed, and juice settled with a recovery of only 600/per ton. 20% of the juice is fermented in stainless steel tank and 80% in 225 litre French barrels. All the barrels ferment and 100 days later barrels complete alcoholic fermentation.

The wine ages for 8 months on the lees (Sur Lie) in the barrels where the lees will be stirred in some cases or the barrels rolled in other. This enhances the mouth feel and the structure of the wine. These 2 components are then blended to create a complex wine with layers of fresh citrus fruit, soft vanilla flavors and a structured mouth feel.

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