Iona
Elgin Highlands Chardonnay
Chardonnay from Elgin, South Africa
D
97
TA
93
R375
Bottle size:
750 ml
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Shipping: R99 nationwide
Shipping: R99 nationwide
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Iona Stylish and Burgundian with bright citrus, white stone fruit, oyster shell minerality and a hint of brioche. The purity of fruit combined with well-judged oak and bright fresh acidity result in a wine that is layered and complex with a lingering finish.
Citrus
Brioche
Stonefruit
Minerality
Cellaring Potential:
Up to 5 years
Origin:
Elgin
Appellation:
Elgin
Alcohol Volume:
12.8%
Sugar G/L:
1.9
Cultivar:
100% Chardonnay
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.
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.
Norwegian salmon terrine.
Game Fish
Seafood
Salmon
Poultry
Iona
Iona is the coolest vineyard in the Cape 420m above sea-level high above the picturesque Elgin Valley. It is surrounded by the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean in the South. In a country where cool sites are precious these vineyards are like gold — the grapes ripening up to two months later than other Cape vineyards and in perfect balance.
Description
Stylish and Burgundian with bright citrus, white stone fruit, oyster shell minerality and a hint of brioche. The purity of fruit combined with well-judged oak and bright fresh acidity result in a wine that is layered and complex with a lingering finish.
Citrus
Brioche
Stonefruit
Minerality
Food Pairing
Norwegian salmon terrine.
Game Fish
Seafood
Salmon
Poultry