Elgin Highlands Chardonnay

Norwegian salmon terrine.

The 2021 vintage experienced a typical cold Elgin winter, with snow on the high mountain peaks and high winter rainfall, after 5 years of very dry and unusually warm winter conditions. This enabled good vine dormancy. Bud break took place in ideal warm and sunny conditions. The impact of below than average winter rains in the previous years and windy conditions during October and November resulted in very uneven flowering. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to smaller berries that have good concentration of flavours. Cool weather conditions during December and January slowed down ripening. The 2021 vintage was characterised by late rainfall and increased the risk of disease. Sorting was again crucial this year and the fruit that remained shows wonderful intensity and fruit concentration. The late rain helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage growth, resulting in concentrated berries with low pH and lower sugar levels. The net result of the later vintage and very cool weather conditions in 2021, is that the grapes had high natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense and concentrated fruit flavours.

Thereafter, the wines were racked and blended (47% Kloof, 22% Fynbos, 17% Block F4 and 14% Kraal) in stainless steel tanks. The wine was fined and stabilised naturally for a period of three months before bottling.

The vineyards are between 9-15 years old. The grapes were hand-picked before being whole bunch pressed. No settling enzymes were used, resulting in juice containing more solids. This wine was 100% wild fermented in a selection of 300L and 228L French oak barrels (22% new, the rest in 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels). The wine remained on the lees for a total of 11 months. 12% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation to add richness and texture.

Iona is a cool-climate Elgin wine estate focused on expressing its distinctive soils and maritime-influenced vineyards through sustainable farming and minimal intervention. Best known for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Iona produces precise South African wines defined by freshness, purity and a strong sense of place.