Description
Tasting Note
The wine is clear with a bright straw colour. The nose is delicate, focused and complex, with abundant aromas of ripe citrus, fresh pineapple, yellow apple, and subtle whiffs of vanilla, nutmeg and preserved lemon. The lime and pineapple of the nose follow through, with flavours of white peach, apricot, poached pear and notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle and burnt caramel on a juicy, balanced palate. The wine is lithe and refreshing, rich yet elegant, with a medium body, natural acidity and subtle oak nuances Hints of toasted almonds, passion fruit and crème brulee linger on a clean, taut finish.
Vineyard & Winemaking
The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is one of the most exciting places to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa. Cap Maritime sits perched on top of a ridge separating the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde appellation from the Valley. It is here where we endeavour to create wines that capture the essence of their origin, while at the same time representing a style that we aspire to.
Our Chardonnay grapes were sourced from Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley vineyards planted on Table Mountain sandstone and decomposed granite. The climate is cool and temperate, where parallel mountain ranges channel ocean winds through the appellation during the summer.
The grapes were picked, hand-sorted and transported in refrigeraterd trucks to our winery in Franschhoek. Careful selection took place before whole-bunch pressing. The juice settled naturally in the tank for two days before being racked off into 40% small Burgundian 1,200L Foudre and 60% new French oak barriques where fermentation began spontaneously. Light batonnage was performed throughout the 14 months of elevage.
Technical Analysis
- Alcohol: 13.73% vol
- RS: 2.5 g/l
- TA: 5.7 g/l
- pH: 3.48
- W.O. Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
