Sans Barrique Chardonnay

Another versatile offering, equally suitable with appetisers or main course. Works really well with creamy mushroom pastries, goats cheese or a smooth vegetable soup. Simply grilled or poached fish with butter and parsley. Moules marinières

An unprecedented early harvest, starting on the 18th of February, posed serious logistical issues for the winery, as we were still heavily involved in the picking of Sauvignon Blanc and estate-grown Chardonnay. Harvest of these, typically small-berried grapes, concluded in the first week of March, when we’d historically only start sampling the vineyards. Normal cropping levels and even ripening of the generally excellent fruit leaves climatic conditions or the preceding dry years to blame for this occurrence.

The wine undergoes no malo-lactic fermentation, adding further to its fresh appeal, with a 6month maturation period ‘sur lie’ building a rich element into the palate.

A major benefit of our long-standing relationship with the grower, who mainly farms apples, is receiving a truckload of chilled grapes, early in the morning. Bunches are pressed and transferred to tank for cold settling over 36 hours. Only the clarified juice is fermented in stainless steel, where a long, cool fermentation encourages the development of a full spectrum of flavours.

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.