Chardonnay

Fermented and matured in 300 L French oak barrels (100% tight grain), for 9 months; Oak regime: 28% new, 27% second-fill, 28% third-fill, 17% older oak.

The “once in many lifetimes” Cape Storm of September 24th and 25th, 2023, with extreme wind speeds from the south, significantly compromised flowering, particularly in our Chardonnay, resulting in record low yields. The extremely high rainfall created conditions which meant 2024 was a vintage with unusually high disease pressure right up to the completion of harvest. At 25.05 centigrade for the average maximum temperatures for Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 2024 was a touch warmer than the particularly cool 2023. Uneven berry size - not necessarily a bad thing – was another consequence of high wind and rain during flowering. Harvest was earlier than average and 9 days earlier than 2023. The resulting wines have lighter than usual alcohols, with a beautiful fruit purity and balance. Our skilled team nursed wines of great beauty out of a challenging vintage.