Elgin Highlands 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 2022 vintage experienced a typical cold Elgin winter, with snow on the high mountain peaks and above average rainfall, which enabled good vine dormancy. Spring was characterised by cold and wet conditions, resulting in later bud break. The cold, wet and windy conditions continued into October and November causing uneven flowering. The uneven flowering resulted in smaller berries that have good concentration of flavours. From January to April we experienced exceptional weather for the ripening of grapes. The second part of the season was characterised by warm and dry weather conditions and very cold nighttime temperatures, which helped preserve the natural acid of the grapes. Late season disease was significantly less than previous years, allowing us to pick healthy grapes with wonderful intensity and concentration of flavours. The above average rainfall in winter and spring helped nourish the soils and helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than vegetative growth, in the warmer conditions. The net result of the later vintage and weather conditions in 2022, is that grapes had high natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense and concentrated flavours.

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. 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.