Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay 2021

Winemaking Techniques

Cold skin maceration was carried out for six hours before the free run juice was left to ferment in stainless steel tanks with French oak staves for three weeks at 12°C. The wine was left on the gross lees where batonnage was applied for a week. It
was then racked and left on the fine lees till right before bottling.

Vineyards

The vineyards are found in a variation in meso-climates, exposed hills, and sheltered valleys, with soils from Granite, Sandstone soils and Alluvial soils. Grapes are picked from a selection of these different wards in the Western Cape.

Vintage Conditions

In the months leading to the 2021 harvest, the Cape winelands had a below average winter rainfall. The lower rainfall combined with cooler summer conditions from November caused the grape bunches to have smaller berries with concentrated sugar levels, tannin concentration and more elevated phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds are natural chemicals found in plants, including fruits and vegetables. They have antioxidant properties and can provide health benefits. In wine, they affect the taste, colour, and mouthfeel. During late February we had heavy rainfall, which gave some relieve to our vineyards where we do not use irrigation. The 2021 vintage can be remembered as a vintage that led to exiting and complex wines.

Food Pairing

A good match with Butter chicken, deep fried Camembert, veal or crayfish.

ALC: 12.5% | RS: 4.0g/l | pH: 3.84 | TA: 5.53g/l