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.

2021 harvest was approx. 2 weeks later than normal due to cooler weather throughout the season, which persisted through harvest time and expressed itself with vines of higher acidity. The season produced strong vine growth, good bunch and berry sizes. The 2021 chardonnay grapes were specially sourced and hand selected by our Cellar Master from two sites, a high altitude slope on the Banhoek side of the Simonsberg Mountain and a vineyard in the Franschhoek Valley. These locations are diverse in nature but each site has its own characteristics which blend well to create this fine chardonnay.

Following harvesting between 20-28th February 2021 the berries were 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 (65% new barrels, 35% 2nd fill) for fermentation. Our Reserve Chardonnay was 100% barrel fermented, using natural yeast with extended lees contact and daily batonnage. 40% 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.