Reserve Chardonnay

Serve with a generous slice of lightly seared salmon and a fresh caper berry and rocket salad

Vertical shoots positioned vineyards on weathered granite mid-slopes benefit from cool morning sunlight and moderate sea breezes off False Bay. Yields are typically low to moderate and grapes are very concentrated with good levels of natural acidity. A mild but wet winter ensured optimal soil conditions moving into the growing season. A relatively cool spring, interspersed with some rain, led to a delayed bud break. Some warm weather in January helped alleviate any early season unevenness and the continued moderate weather the farm experienced meant that the harvest was progressing at an even pace and that the winery team was able to give the most attention to each parcel arriving at the winery.

The wine left to mature as a blend in a combination of concrete eggs, amphora and neutral French oak barrels for further 5 months prior to bottling.

The grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. Juice was transferred to French oak barrels with minimal settling. Fermentation occurred naturally in French oak barrels of which 20% was new oak. Roughly 20% of the volume completed malolactic fermentation during 11-month ageing on the gross lees.

A hidden garden vineyard deep in the Stellenbosch Kloof, with sweeping views across False Bay to Cape Town, lies DeMorgenzon - a name derived from Dutch origin for “the morning sun.” From its hilltop manor, this prestigious and graceful family estate is home to Wendy and Hylton Appelbaum. Classical music drifts through the garden vineyards. The earth has music for those who listen. Viticulturally, DeMorgenzon has predominantly south-facing slopes create a cooler microclimate in an otherwise warm region. This allows for the production of finely poised, ethereal Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as sophisticated, highly aromatic Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In keeping with their vinous philosophy, the estate is farmed regeneratively, fostering biodiversity and soil vitality to create a balanced, living ecosystem in the vineyards.