Chardonnay 2016

Award Winner

The winemaker of our highly rated Chardonnay is not shy for an opinion, his winemaking philosophy is “Every winemaker must have a philosophy of some kind, if we don’t, then we can just as well call ourselves food technicians according to mine." On searching for the best terroir: "Each component adds to the final product - pure, honest, awesome wines."

There is a basis for his opinions. He comes from a long line of farmers and winemakers in the Paarl/Perdeberg region (North of Stellenbosch). He cut his teeth as an assistant at Uva Mira, when the estate won Young Winemaker of the Year and then moved on to be the lead winemaker at Slaley before achieving the Cape Wine Master Certification and branching out on his own with a passion for finding the perfect combination of grapes and terroir. The seriousness leaves his face and he brightens up when he speaks of his favorite place – his home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Pringle Bay, surrounded by a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Vineyard and Wine

The grapes for 2016 vintage come primarily from Stellenbosch with small portions from high quality vineyards to the South-East (in the Elgin appellation) and more inland (Franschhoek appellation) for acidity and body respectively. The art is in skillfully blending the right amounts from the various terroirs by letting the natural elements come through. The vineyards are planted in Clovelly and Hutton soils on North-West and South-East facing slopes. The vines are 15-year-old on average and are trained to five wire trellis with cordon and spurs. Overhead irrigation was used to offset the dry summer but yields were limited to only 7 tons/ha. The grapes were harvested on January 15th and whole bunch pressed, naturally settled and spontaneously fermented in 100% 300-liter French Oak barrels (from Allier and Nevers regions, light to medium toast). To enhance the natural flavors of the region, rather than adding commercially manufactured yeast, fermentation occurred using the grapes natural yeast (that thin film of white 'dust' found on the grapes) as every region has its own unique yeasts. The wine was then aged in the oak casks for 12 months on its primary fermentation lees and batonaged once a month. The result is a fruit driven Chardonnay with aromas of pineapple, guava and fruit salad. Combined with a well-integrated acid, this wine ensures plenty aromas that will complement salad, seafood and pastas.
Technical details: ALC - 13.5% Vol; PH - 3.34; RS - 2.1 g/l; TA - 5.2 g/l.

Awards:
92 points - John Platter Wine Guide 2018
Silver - TEXSOM 2019 International Wine Awards

Lynne Safriel's thoughts: "This is my favorite wine for getting together with my friends at a wine bar".