SOURCE:
  This 2004 Chardonnay was sourced from a single vineyard on a farm in the Franschhoek valley that has consistently won awards for its Chardonnay wine.
WEATHER:
  The summer was dry and hot with low rainfall. The combination of hot conditions, careful irrigation and the vineyard being in cool late afternoon shade has developed good fruit flavours and aromas.
HARVESTING:
  The grapes were hand harvested in the coolness of early morning on 19 th February.
VINIFICATION:
  The selected bunches were whole berry pressed and cold settled for three days in tanks. The juice was racked to fermentation tanks and underwent primary fermentation to dryness over 14 days. The resulting wine was racked to 225l new French oak barrels. 50% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. All the wine remained in barrels on the lees for maturation for 9 months with regular batonage. The wine was fined and bottled in late November.
TASTING NOTES:
  This fine wooded wine has a golden lemon/green colour and characters of peach and ripe citrus, with a soft butter undertone. The wood has imparted subtle toastiness producing a rich, full and well balanced wine with fine structure and a long finish.
FOOD ACCOMPANIMENT:
 

This Chardonnay is a delicious dry wine that can be enjoyed as an aperitif, or partnered with shellfish, seafood dishes, and richer dishes such as roasted white meats and risottos.

 
  It will continue to develop in the bottle for 2-4 years from harvest.
TECHNICAL ANAYSIS:
 

pH 3.33 Alcohol 13.5%

(At bottling) Total acid 5.9gpl Residual Sugar Dry

PRODUCTION:
  660 x 12 bottle cases 220 x 6 bottle cases
WINEMAKER:
  Nikey van Zyl
 
 
 
 
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