Stellenbosch Chardonnay

Crab with Cannellini Bean Salad and Citrus Vinaigrette.

This extraordinary single vineyard Chardonnay site is situated on the high gravelly slopes of the Helderberg Mountain and in near proximity to False Bay and the cold Atlantic Ocean. Planted at 400m, it benefits from the maritime influenced breezes, cool days and mild nights of the area, which brings an incredible intensity and freshness to the wine. The outstanding 2024 vintage highlighted this vineyard’s ability to create great balance of palate texture, concentration and outstanding natural acidity. The grapes were hand-harvested on the cool mornings between the 26th and 29th February 2025 and yielded approximately five tons per hectare, which translated to an average of 30 hectolitre per hectare.

This Chardonnay spent an initial year maturing in 225L tight-grain French oak barrels. It was then racked and blended, followed by a further ten months of ageing in the same casks.

The grapes were whole-bunch pressed, after which the juice was chilled overnight. The settled, aerated must was then transferred to barrel, where both spontaneous primary and malolactic fermentations took place over a period of just more than sixty days. Following this, the wine remained on its primary lees for a year before being racked and blended ahead of its final maturation.

The Leeu Passant winery, based in Franschhoek, was established in 2013 with the purpose of harnessing the most exciting vineyards of the Cape in order to create multi-regional wines from vineyards aimed at expressing the Cape as a whole (not only from Franschhoek). The Name “Leeu Passant” is derived from Heraldry, referring to a ‘passing Lion’ and this is the symbol on the top of the capsule. Chris and Andrea Mullineux search far and wide for the best parcels of grapes for these wines, and make them at the Leeu Passant base, on Leeu Estates.