Tasting Notes: The colour is very bright and clear with flashes of yellow and gold.
The nose is quite prominent and complex. It starts with notes of very ripe oranges, bananas and tangerine peel. These light fruit notes move to the heavier ones of a tarte tatin made with pineapples.
The entry is surprisingly bracing. The fine acidic backbone that gives this wine a lively tension asserts itself immediately. Flavours of yellow citrus, pineapple and nectarines come to the fore. Wood is noted but it is very much in the background. It provides a fragrant base and some texture to the mid palate. This wine has good length and all the while the flavours change in the mouth, the acid stands guard ensuring a very clean finish.
Viniculture: The 2020 vintage from Lothian Vineyards' 3 blocks of Chardonnay was hand harvested at optimal ripeness. The fruit was whole bunch pressed, with a period of skin contact. Fermentation was started in stainless steel with ambient yeast. The fermenting juice was racked into a selection of French barrique, followed by a period of battonage to bolster the wine's mid-palate. Ten months of barrel maturation on the fine lees fleshed out the wine and added richness.
Prior to bottling the wine was lightly filtered to preserve its integrity.
Winemaker: Richard Kershaw MW, Dudley Wilson
Vine clones: 76, 95 & 584
Block: Grapes hand harvested from 3 South & East blocks
Soil: Table Mountain Sandstone
Grape Balling: 22 - 23.5
Coopers: Vicard, Francois Frère, Louis Latour, Chassin, Tremeaux
Wood: French oak, fine grain, long medium or light toast
Maturation: 11 Months
Packaging: Packaging 750ml Burgundy bottles in cases of 6 with Stelvins
Vegan: Yes
Awards: IWC 95 pts Gold. NWA Double Platinum
Release Date: Feb 2022
Alcohol: 13.5% Vol
Sugar: 2.4 g/L
Total Acidity: 7.0 g/L
PH: 3.22