In The Cellar
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.
In The Vineyard
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.
"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)
