Kaaimansgat Chardonnay

Treat seriously and sip slowly! A great companion to white meat and rich seafood such as lobster bisque. Enjoy with soft cheese and mushroom risotto.

Low yields, but fortunately one with positive quality results. While the summer was dry the weather remained mild and every opportunity was presented to provide the cellar with exceptional fruit quality resulting in an excellent wine.

The wine was left in barrel (20% new oak) for eight months and finally only removed closer to the moment of preparing for bottling.

Grapes arrived at our cellar early morning after enjoying an overnight cold room treatment. Grapes were then pressed “whole cluster” in order to follow traditional Burgundian wine making practices. Such whole cluster pressing provides the added complexity of small amounts of flavour from the stalks and skins. The clarified grape juice was allowed to settle before initiating fermentation under controlled conditions. The next phase was to transfer fermenting must to oak casks before point of peak fermentation arrived.

One of South Africa’s most awarded boutique wine estates lies in a scenic valley just an hour and a half from Cape Town called Hemel-en-Aarde or Heaven-and-Earth. Framed by great fold mountains and breath-taking ocean views it is one of the coolest wine-making regions in the Cape with duplex soil structures and sun-facing slopes. The promise of the unique terroir is harnessed by winemaker Chris Albrecht in slow-ripened flavour-rich wines of exceptional quality. Bouchard Finlayson is globally acclaimed for producing the best Pinot Noir in South Africa as well as exceptional Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. The vineyards are surrounded by an indigenous floral conservancy alive with birdsong and wildflowers. Beyond the beauty of the farm itself you can discover the enchantments of the local area. Some of the popular attractions of nearby Hermanus include whale-watching; shark-cage diving; mountain hiking or biking; browsing art antiques and shops; and of course the white sandy beaches.