Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay 2022

Crystalline and energetic at its core, the wine exhibits forward ripe pear and floral aromas. Seductive and refined, this complex white is superbly balanced. Delicate citrus notes neatly balance a fine texture.

A creamy prawn stroganoff will complement the texture of the wine, while a simple Waldorf salad remains a favourite. Fresher styled cheeses, like grilled halloumi or chevre.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Chris Albrecht
wine of origin : Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
analysis : alc : 13.03 % vol  rs : 1.6 g/l  pH : 3.42  ta : 5.7 g/l  va : 0.58 g/l  so2 : 88 mg/l  
type : White  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fragrant   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
2023 Decanter Award - Silver
2022 Michelangelo Awards - Gold

ageing : Its impressive youth should improve through 2026.

The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and its associated terroir has proven itself to be one of the Cape’s most treasured Chardonnay locations. The name Missionvale stems from the mission hospital established on the domain property in the early 19th Century. All grapes are harvested from this Estate to create one of the finest Chardonnays.

in the vineyard : A systematic evaluation of our Chardonnay vineyards’ indigenous yeast population, delivers promising results with 40% of the barrels in this wine completing fermentation un-inoculated. Spontaneous onset, assisted by late inoculation with locally sourced organically grown natural yeast, is responsible for the balance of alcohol conversion. Now an established component of the final blend, 8% was fermented and matured for 9 months in amphora, the balance in French oak. Finding a quiet day to bottle, during the onset of harvest can prove challenging, however the additional elevation in tank proves to be worthwhile. Bottled with light filtration in February 2023.

about the harvest: The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and its associated terroir, continue to prove itself to be one of the Cape’s most treasured Chardonnay locations. The name Missionvale stems from the mission hospital, established on the domain property in the early 19th Century. All grapes are harvested from this Estate, to create one of the finest Chardonnays.

in the cellar : Cold and exceedingly wet conditions occurred during flowering and berry set late in 2021, pushing the onset of the harvest season ever later. The ripening season of January 2022 however, saw some of the hottest and driest conditions that have been recorded over the past seven years; the rainfall received for this period was atypically low. This allowed for a long, healthy ripening of a concentrated crop. Minimal disease pressure and dilution resulted in the production of fruit of an outstanding quality, in which full phenolic ripeness and refreshingly low natural sugar accumulation was expressed.

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