Albertus Viljoen Chardonnay

To create this wine, Chardonnay grapes are carefully selected for their unique characteristics from our prime, well-established Alvi’s Drift vineyards. After whole-bunch pressing, grape juice is 100% barrel fermented in both new and used French oak, with wild yeast fermentation applied.

With an ideal Mediterranean microclimate, an abundance of soil diversity and water from the life-giving Breede River, the Alvi’s Drift vineyards are ideally positioned for producing remarkable wines of unique character and complexity. Our 2022 Chardonnay harvest, although slightly smaller than the previous year’s, has produced a vintage that will be remembered for years to come. Our winter was cold, with plenty of rainfall, followed by a cooler-than-usual spring with further rain, which delayed budburst and flowering. Summer brought heat but also rain, with the harvest delayed by at least 14 days due to the cooler season. These moderate weather conditions allowed our Chardonnay grapes time to develop incredible flavours, making for an exceptional vintage.

After alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, the wine is barrel-matured in French oak barrels for 11 months, with regular bâtonnage applied. After maturation, wine from each barrel is individually tasted before blending, in order to showcase the character and complexity of both terroir and vintage.