Whitehall Chardonnay

Salmon, smoked duck, shellfish

The grapes for this premium Chardonnay is close to the Whitehall farm from where Neil produced the first certified wine from Elgin. These vineyards are positioned on south-facing slopes of which the soil is mainly white mineral sandstone and quartz on a clay sub-base. The vines are trellised and have access to supplementary irrigation. Harvest in Elgin on Chardonnay started more than a week later than normal on the 17th of February and carried through until 08 March 2023. Grapes were harvested at 21-22.5 °B with a total acid of 8.5g/l and a pH of 3.10. Yield: 6.5-8tons/Ha.

The wine spent 10 months in 228L French oak barrels.

The grapes were whole bunch and a 100% barrel fermented, using 33% new 228 litre fine-grained oak barrels and the rest in 2nd and 3rd fill oak barrels. 20% went through malolactic fermentation.

Neil Ellis is a South African wine producer built on the belief that each variety should be matched to the site where it performs best. Working across distinctive Cape vineyards, the range is known for precise, site-expressive wines spanning Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and more.