Hourglass Chardonnay

Serve with crispy skinned duck in a creamy mushroom sauce.

The 27-year-old Bartinney Chardonnay vineyard stretches from 350m to 550m above sea level. Premium Chardonnay grapes are cherry-picked from the best rows of robust vines, in the highest reaching parts of the vineyard. It takes its name from a new planting of exquisite estate Chardonnay established in 2014, which is naturally shaped like an hourglass. Used to ‘measure the passage of time’ the hourglass is an ode to patience. To craft the long awaited small-batch offering, the team nurtured the old vine Chardonnay for 5 years to produce the finest fruit. They now patiently wait for the new Hourglass vines to flourish.

Enhanced by 11 month ageing in small 225 liter French oak barrels, 60% of which was new. The barrels were gently rolled twice a month for the first two months.

Bartinney is set on the dramatic slopes of Botmaskop alongside the Helshoogte Pass overlooking the picturesque Banhoek Valley in Stellenbosch. Established in 1912 Bartinney has been in the Jordaan family since 1953. Now Rose and Michael Jordaan tend to the 28 hectare farm with a vision to create excellent wines and reawaken the charm of the historic land. Creating excellence in wine has not been a singular pursuit. Our belief is that every aspect must work in harmony: agriculture with nature people with animals sustainability with excellence. The old vines are planted to a height of 550m above sea level and with slopes as steep as 45 degrees creating wines that have exceptional expression and character. Small pockets of low yielding hand-tended Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay vineyards offer up perfect fruit on the cooler elevated slopes. On the slightly lower foothills of the Botmaskop mountains the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are tended to. The perfect conditions to grow grapes with a balance of rich and mineral characters. The winged figure depicted on each bottle is called ‘Elevage’ and symbolises the French art of the selective maturing and ascension of a wine to its ultimate heights unfurling its most noble traits. This idea is embodied in the team work small-lot artisanal craft and gentle methods relied upon to create excellence year-on-year. World renowned sculptor Dylan Lewis’ magnificent sculpture ‘Elevage’ iconically resides in the acclaimed fynbos gardens resembling the winged figure of the Bartinney logo. Additionally landscape artist Strydom van der Merwe helped establish a two hectare land art form of ‘Elevage’ in fynbos in the Hourglass Chardonnay vineyard. Visible from an aeroplance this is the first of its kind in the world – a fitting tribute to Biodiversity and Sustainability. Bartinney wines are enjoyed at The Tasting Shed on Bartinney Estate or at the Bartinney Wine and Champagne Bar in the heart of Stellenbosch where guests regularly spill onto Bird Street glasses in hand.