Groenlandberg Chardonnay

Serve with a mild and creamy butter chicken curry.

Spring of 2023 will be remembered for a very long time because of the severe storm which hit the Western Cape in September. Besides the landslides and infrastructure damage, unfortunately this weather incident also had a drastic impact on the yields of 2024. With soil water levels very high and warmer temperatures that followed in October, our vines vigorously bounced back but disease pressure was notably high. We received another 53 mm of rain during December 2023, but after that, the temperatures picked up drastically by Elgin standards and the contrast between Spring and Summer became very evident. Ripening phase temperatures were quite similar to 2022 and warmer and drier than 2021 and 2023. At veraison, our suspicions were confirmed when we saw much smaller bunches and berries and a very low crop. Harvest started on 29 January with some young blocks of Chardonnay and concluded on 14 February, making it a very early harvest due to the small crop. The wines of 2024 from a quality point of view luckily makes up for the tiny quantities. The Chardonnays offer sublime texture and viscosity that perfectly disguise the high natural acidity and our Pinot Noirs offer velvety mouthfeel along with serious structure.

Made from a selection of vineyards found high up along the Groenlandberg is a wine made to truly represent the vintage and the terroir in which it is grown. Gentle winemaking and consistent approach to French Oak maturation allows one to truly experience wine grown in a very special place. New oak complement is 30%.

Oak Valley is situated high along the Groenlandberg Mountain Range in one of the coolest wine growing regions in South Africa; Elgin. Attention to detail in the vineyards and our minimalist intervention approach in the cellar is what shapes our cool climate wine styles. Oak Valley’s signature is elegance.