Chardonnay

Fish, poultry, pork and game bird dishes work well with this wine. It works particularly well with creamy pastas and salmon dishes.

2018 was another dry and hot year. Even for Elgin. The wind was furious in early summer that did a fare amount of natural topping and crop thinning. Then the heat came and with the absence of rain we found that the wines are concentrated, deep and very characterful. Slightly lower yields were harvested than in 2017.

Due to the low pH of 2.9, the wine takes about 12 months to complete malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnay barrels were rolled and not stirred for batonnage. This enables the wine to benefit from sediment contact without too much oxygen uptake. The wine spent 16 months in barrel, which is exceptionally long for a white wine. Thirty percent new oak, while the rest were aged in second and third fill barrels. The wine was bottled unfiltered and matured in bottle for one year before release.

The grapes were picked between 22 and 23 Brix, then transported to the winery and cooled to 1C. The grapes were loaded into the press whole and pressed for about 7 hours upon which the juice was transferred unsettled to barrel at about 600 NTU. The whole process takes place in the presence of oxygen and this greatly contributes to the wine's ability to age. Fermentation sets in naturally after about 4 days and last for just over a month.

Paserene is a small family operated winery owned by Martin Smith and Ndabe Mareda the sole purpose of which is to produce high-end luxury wines. Great care was given to ensure that the wines produced and artwork on the labels are truly authentic to its “sense of place and people” and will guarantee a lasting legacy. The name Paserene comes from the Latin word Passeriformes the order of traveling and free birds containing swifts and swallows. Paserene is situated in the quaint town of Franschhoek and is home to their award-winning wine range. A professional and contemporary tasting lounge is situated on the property.