Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2022

ageing : Enjoy now or cellar for up to four years.

Winter 2020 delivered good rainfall and cold that saw us returning to long term averages and the end of the drought that had tested all in the Western Cape for the last 5 years. Spring 2020 was defined by later bud break and particularly cool and wet conditions. Variable bud break was observed on a number of varieties. Flowering 2020 saw a continuation of this trend of cooler weather, intermittent rainfall and overcast conditions with lots of wind. The increased rainfall also brought significant disease pressure to most areas, in particular Downey Mildew. Summer has been a far cooler affair that we have been used to with particularly cool nights. This is per se a very good indicator of a quality vintage. We received only one or two warm days that were immediately followed by a cool spell all the way into late January.

The juice was fermented with a combination of yeast strains – to enhance complexity, fruit flavour and elegance 75% was added commercial and 25% was indigenous. No malolactic fermentation was permitted to preserve maximum varietal and fruit expression. The wine was left on extended lees contact for 270 days after fermentation and stirred regularly during this period.

Maturation:
The wine was matured in 50% new, 25% second-fill and 25% third-fill French oak barrels for nine months.