Colour: Lemon green
Bouquet: Understated typical citrus aromas that vie with stone fruit such as nectarine and white peach.
Palate: Nectarine, quince, pear and citrus. Like a mouthful of juicy, tangy fruit salad with a light drizzle of honey adding richness.
Excellent with Thai and other Oriental dishes, as well as smoked salmon, grilled fish and food with cream-based sauces.
variety : Chardonnay [ 94% Chardonnay, 6% Chenin Blanc, 1% Albariño, 1% Gewürztraminer ]
winemaker : Elmarie Botes (previous winemaker)
wine of origin : Paarl
analysis : alc : 13.60 % vol rs : 4.30 g/l pH : 3.31 ta : 6.05 g/l
type : White style : Dry
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : The Chardonnay grapes were sourced from top-performing vineyards in Darling and Stellenbosch. These are known as cool climate winegrowing areas, offering the benefit of slower ripening of the grapes to achieve greater flavour intensity. The vines are grown in granite and sandstone soils, resulting in grapes with higher natural acidity, adding to the vibrancy, freshness and longevity of the wine. The vines, ranging in age from 12 to 17
years, and situated on mostly south to south-westerly facing slopes, received supplementary drip irrigation. Grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks, Richter 99 and 101, the vines yielded an average of 8 to 10 tons per hectare. The Albariño grapes came from Stellenbosch, the Chenin blanc from Swartland, and the Gewürztraminer from Paarl.
in the cellar : The Chardonnay grapes were harvested by hand and machine at 22º to 24º Balling during February and March. After clarification, the juice was racked into stainless-steel tanks where fermentation took place at 15° to 16°C, for two to three weeks. The wine was left on the fermentation lees for 9 months, with continuous batonnage (stirring of the lees) for enhanced mouthfeel and palate weight. Malolactic fermentation was prevented to ensure a higher natural acidity and freshness. After blending, the wine was left on the fine lees for added freshness and to guarantee longevity. Approximately 20% of the wine was aged in new and older French oak barrels to attain even more complexity and a fuller expression of the wine on the nose and the palate. Only plant proteins were used during setting and fining, making this wine suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
CELLAR-MASTER: Lizelle Gerber