Description
CELLAR INFORMATION A minimalist approach. Hand picked in early morning and whole bunch pressed. Clear free run juice of brilliant lime-gold colour. Unoaked cold fermentation and three months lees contact. VINEYARD INFORMATION Chardonnay vines on limestone and mineral rich Calcrete soil and South facing slope, exposed to off-cooling Southeastern breeze.
Attention to detail, a vineyard carefully managed for
aeration and indirect light in the leaf canopy to preserve vibrance in the Chardonnay bunches till the crisp morning breaks on the day of harvest.
Reviews
Greg Sherwood 91
This vibrantly fresh Chardonnay expression is named after the Calcrete soils that are only found among the Limestone rich soils of the appellation between Bonnievale and Robertson. The terroir here is typified by arid, broken shale rocks of ancient petrified maritime deposits that bestow the fresh vibrant whites of the area with a pronounced wet stone liquid minerality and a maritime, briney rock salt salinity. Combine this unique terroir with South facing slopes exposed to cooling Southeastern breezes and you have the perfect environment for some of the most classically fashioned old world-styled white wines in the Cape. This embryonic 2023 Chardonnay delivers delicious aromas of crisp stone fruits, white pear and crunchy green apples with hints of honeydew melon, white flowers and honey drizzled over white citrus. Incredibly vibrant and fresh, the overt minerality is undoubtedly a perennial hallmark of this unoaked wine that is embroidered with an extra three months of lees aging in stainless steel tanks. Delightfully radiant and subtly exotic, this is an incredibly demonstrative wine that celebrates its terroir, purity and minerality while remaining seamless, lively and impressively vital. Drink on release and over the next 2 to 3 years. (91/100 Greg Sherwood MW) [Greg Sherwood, 01/01/2023]
Producer Profile
The Jonker family has lived on Weltevrede since 1912. The estate was founded by Klaas Jonker, whose pioneering soul led him to plant the first vines in the area. In the 1930’s Weltevrede was inherited by his son, Japie Jonker, who in 1933 began wine farming on Weltevrede. Japie expanded the winery of Weltevrede to accommodate the growing grape production. The third generation, Lourens Jonker, completed his degree in viniculture and undertook extensive study tours of the wine lands of Europe and California in 1962 before settling down to farm on Weltevrede. After the death of his father in 1969, Lourens took over the 65ha farm. He subsequently purchased neighbouring farms Muscadel (1969), River’s Edge (1981) and Sonop (1999). Today all the farms are consolidated as a 160 hectare estate. Lourens is one of the pioneering figures of the South African wine industry establishing a legacy as chairman of the KWV and serving on several industry bodies. He also served on boards of companies outside the wine industry, like ABSA and Naspers. He received the National Farmer of the Year Award for South Africa from the Agricultural Writer’s association of South Africa in 1996. Lourens stepped back recently to leave the estate in the hands of his son, Philip. He now enjoys a more relaxed lifestyle.
