Serruria Chardonnay

Fresh raspberry, lemon and white chocolate cupcakes.

Altima Estate is located in Elandskloof, a 5 km-wide isolated valley north of Villiersdorp, surrounded by a mountain range rising 1km above the valley floor. The valley’s steep topography, combined with the overshadowing mountains, results in a distinctly cool continental climate. Quartz sandstone from the Table Mountain Sandstone group appears against the higher-lying mountains. The main soil type found on the farm is good decomposed shale from the Malmesbury group. This unique site produces fruit with high natural acidity and low pH levels, which contribute to the wine’s ageing potential. The slow ripening period and lack of heat waves in January and February result in outstanding grapes with great structure and upfront aromas, and harvest is typically much later than at other sites in the Western Cape. A warm and dry winter preceded the 2023 harvest, with fairly even budding starting slightly earlier than the previous year. Warm conditions persisted throughout the growing season, resulting in an overall lighter crop in most regions. Heavy rains early in December provided much relief and ensured that the vines were in good condition prior to harvest. For the majority of the season, the conditions were ideal, and the fruit quality was exceptional. Unusually heavy and continuous rainfall in March posed some challenges for later-ripening regions and varietals. Overall, a high-quality vintage promises to produce some outstanding wines.

The wine was aged for 10 months on the gross lees, with 30% of the total volume undergoing malolactic fermentation during this time, before being blended and bottled.

Four different vineyards were hand-picked into small lug-boxes at optimum ripeness and transported to the cellar in refrigerated trucks. The fruit was wholebunch pressed, and the juice was allowed to settle overnight without the use of enzymes. The juice was then transferred to 300ℓ French oak barrels (24% new) and spontaneously fermented.

This is a range created in recognition of the Cape of Good Hope’s vinous heritage which stretches back more than 350 years when the first Governor of the Cape planted grapes. These unique wines are the result of irreplaceable parcels of old vines and site specific terroirs. The labels reflect the grape variety as well as the origin and singular characters behind them.