Chardonnay Reserve

West coast rock lobster served with lemon butter sauce. Slow poached pernod oysters with fresh apple, verjuice dill and lees. Roasted monkfish wrapped in parma ham. Hand dived sea scallops pan fried with a pea purée.

The 2019 chardonnay grapes were specially sourced and hand selected by our Cellar Master from a ridge overlooking the ocean in Somerset West and a high-altitude slope on the side of the Simonsberg Mountain. These two locations are both relatively cool but for different physical influences. They combine magnificently to produce a rounded well-balanced wine. Grapes were harvested in two separate pickings from Somerset West adding to the complexity. 2019 harvest was cooler with a pleasant ripening season with good yields and high quality grapes.

Following harvesting on 28th February 2019 the berries are cooled to 5ºC prior to a whole bunch press using the “Champagne” press cycle. After clarifying over-night pressed juice was transferred to 225 litre French oak barrels (90% new barrels, 10% 2nd fill) for fermentation. Our Reserve Chardonnay was 100% barrel fermented, using natural yeast with extended lees contact and daily batonnage. We undertook a barrel selection of our 2019 Chardonnay production to create this exceptional wine. 100% of this wine underwent malolactic fermentation.

Holden Manz is a family owned wine producer located in the heart of the beautiful Franschhoek Valley. Established by owners Gerard Holden & Migo Manz in 2010 the estate grows cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah and sources a selection of white varietals from specialist growers.