Elgin Highlands Chardonnay

The wine pairs excellently with seafood dishes, poultry, and creamy pasta, enhancing the flavors of these culinary delights.​

The grapes for this Chardonnay are sourced from two north-facing vineyards on the western boundary of the estate, both planted in 2003. The cool climate ensures long, slow physiological ripening of the grapes under ideal growing conditions, with sugar, pH, acids, tannins, and flavor compounds in perfect balance to produce elegant, lower-alcohol wines of distinction. ​

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 (20% new, the rest in second, third, and fourth-fill barrels). The wine remained on the lees for a total of 11 months, with 10% undergoing 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.