Estate Reserve Chardonnay

The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and whole bunch pressed, slowly extracting the juice at a rate of 600ltrs per ton. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours and was racked into 500 litre Burgundian barrels for fermentation and 11 months of maturation.

The vineyards are planted in decomposed shale over clay at 300 metres in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. A low mean February temperature lends to an extended ripening period that can put harvest 3-4 weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The intense citrus notes and the lingering finish are consistent trademarks of Lismore's specific terrior. The restrained minerality of the Chardonnay is a clear indication of the cool climate in which it is grown.

The 2017 Estate Reserve Chardonnay was matured in 500-litre barrels using 35% new oak.