Hartenberg Chardonnay 2022

This Chardonnay comes from the Hartenberg estate, one of the oldest and most renowned in South Africa, set on the northern slopes of the Bottelary Hills, around 12 kilometres north of Stellenbosch. The plots, at 250 metres above sea level, lie on red gravel soils and enjoy a temperate Mediterranean climate, influenced by sea breezes, conducive to slow, balanced ripening.

The vineyard is farmed using regenerative viticulture, in the service of biodiversity and soil vitality. After fermentation, the wine is aged for ten months in French oak barrels, 15% of them new. This measured proportion of new oak supports the structure and texture of the Chardonnay while leaving the leading role to fruit and freshness.

This wine reveals notes of yellow peach, orange blossom, toasted brioche, sweet spices, lemon zest, hazelnut, fresh butter and vanilla. The creamy texture is lifted by refreshing acidity, which gives the wine a long, balanced structure through to a persistent, indulgent finish.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s.



Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles.



South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.



The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.