Chardonnay

Grilled fish, white and red meat.

Our growing season began mild and dry which was largely beneficial for earlier ripening varieties like Chardonnay. It also limited berry size and yields which benefited our red varieties. The area experienced a cool ripening period in general, that aided early cultivars but could be problematic for late ripening varieties. We however saw rapid flavour development and the vast majority of our vineyards were harvested before the rains began in all earnest. This resulted in bright flavourful wines that show good levels of extraction at good pH and acidity levels.

The wine is matured until it reaches the desired mouth feel and complexity. After removing the wine from barrel, it undergoes a light fining before bottling.

Picking of grapes were done by a team of experienced pickers ensuring optimal selection of fruit. After pressing, juice was settled overnight and racked with some fine solids to the fermentation vessel. A mix of 30% new, 33% second fill and 32% third fill 300lt barrels are used, and this vintage sees the first introduction of 5% fermented in concrete tank. Fermentation is either with selected yeast or through natural spontaneous fermentation.

Meerlust is a historic Stellenbosch wine estate with eight generations of family winemaking dating back to 1756. Best known for its flagship Rubicon Bordeaux-style blend, the estate also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with vineyards shaped by the cooling influence of nearby False Bay.