Chardonnay

Elegant and complex. Upfront aroma of limes and citrus blossoms. On the palate the delicate taste of oak, supported by a crystalline acid structure and a slight pithy finish. Drink now or cellar for up 10 years to taste its real potential.

Due to a cool, wet spring, budding was 7 to 14 days later than usual, but consistently good and even, promising excellent quality and a great vintage. The grapes were predominantly sourced from Stellenbosch with a small portion from Robertson. The Stellenbosch vineyard are planted in decomposed granite soils and provides structure and fruit to the wine whilst the Robertson portion is planted in limestone-based soils and provide texture and mineral elements.

The grapes were harvested between 21 – 23°balling and after crushing most of the juice was given extended skin contact for at least 12 hours before it was pressed. Certain portions were “whole bunch” pressed to ensure elegance and finesse. Only the free run portion of the juice was used for this selection.

After 1 day of settling the juice was racked to a fermentation vessel where we inoculate with a slow fermenting yeast strain. The juice was racked into barrel 1 day after inoculation and left to ferment at low temperature until dry. The wine spent a total of 8 months in barrel before blending and bottling. A combination of 60% new and the rest second and third fill 400l French oak barrels were used.