Chardonnay Reserve

Most types of fish, especially shellfish, also buttery/creamy dishes.

A plot of 2.8 hectares in Greywacke soils with a clay content between 15-20%, on south westerly facing slopes at an altitude of 400-450 metres above sea level. The vines, an average age of 32 years, are planted at a density of 5000 per hectare and trained in the Guyot cordon system.

The Chardonnay Reserve is kept in barrels for 14 months and 20% is matured in Nomblot eggs. Only the best barrels are considered for the final blend.

The harvested grapes are de-stemmed, gently crushed and undergo cold-maceration for 6 hours. Natural, spontaneous fermentation occurs in 225ℓ French Allier barriques, the fermentation taking up to 3 weeks. The wine remains on the lees where it undergoes malolactic fermentation, the lees stirred periodically through the wine in what is known as batonnage.

Chamonix is a Franschhoek wine estate set against the Mont Rochelle mountain, with vineyards planted to classic French varieties and shaped by cool breezes and stony clay-rich soils. Known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, the estate produces mountain-influenced wines with freshness, structure and clear Franschhoek character.