2019 Haut Espoir, Chardonnay

Greg Sherwood 91

The wine Ward of Franschhoek was for many years a slightly under-performing winemaking area in South Africa despite being one of the most expensive pieces of vineyard real estate in the Cape winelands. But over the past decade, the area has slowly revealed its hidden capacity for producing some phenomenal Chardonnay whites as well as the obviously iconic old vine Semillon expressions. Made from the first post drought vintage, this 2019 Haut Espoir Chardonnay is showing at close to its peak and drinking superbly well, offering up generous aromas of sweet ripe lemons, honeycomb, freshly baked bread and apple puree with underlying savoury hints of salted toffee apples, a stony minerality and an exotic maritime Nam Pla fish sauce umami complexity. The seductive honeycomb notes continue onto the palate that is fleshy but opulently soft and glycerol, brimming with pithy lemon peel spice, hints of sweet quince, bruised yellow orchard fruits and a seductive round lactic acidity. Tasted blind, you could easily mistake this expression for a premium Macon-Village white Burgundy. As one customer commented to me the wine sings a definite Macon-style tune but with a stony, nutty, Puligny Montrachet chorus line. Satiny, succulent and thoroughly charming, this is undeniably a wine for connoisseurs looking to drink Burgundy-style whites on a budget. Enjoy now and over the next 2 to 4 years. – Greg Sherwood MW. [01/01/2023]