Chardonnay

Grilled seafood with herb butter, pasta dishes with fresh mushrooms and saltimbocca.

The diversity of the soils, slopes and elevation is closely linked with the quality of Plaisir de Merle wines. Well-drained, weathered granite soils (predominantly Tukulu and Hutton), with good water retention, allow the three dry-land Chardonnay vineyards to capture the true character of climate and soils in its fruit. Grapes were sourced from three vineyards ranging from 7 to 8 years in age, and situated between 250m and 450m above sea level on the south-eastern slopes of the Simonsberg.

Matured in French oak and left on the lees for 12 months

Established by the French Huguenots in 1693 on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains between Paarl and Franschhoek, Plaisir Wine Estate is a rare gem. This 974-hectare estate in Simonsberg-Paarl has earned international acclaim for its white and red wines. About 230 hectares are planted with a variety of noble grape cultivars such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Winemaker Fred Fismer attributes producing award-winning wines to being able to work with great fruit coming from a very unique terrain and the invaluable input from his viticulture team.