Missionvale Chardonnay 2022

Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, near the coastal town of Hermanus in Walker Bay, Bouchard Finlayson enjoys a cool maritime climate, tempered by the proximity of the South Atlantic Ocean. The Chardonnay vines for the Missionvale cuvée are planted in clay-limestone and schist soils, which offer natural drainage and good water retention. This combination of oceanic freshness, regular breezes, and complex soils allows for a slow ripening of the grapes, preserving natural acidity and promoting the precise expression of the terroir.

The grapes are hand-harvested, carefully sorted, and then pressed as whole bunches before a light settling. The must is then transferred to French oak barrels, where a slow fermentation takes place, primarily in new and one-year-old barrels, with partial malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness. Aging continues on fine lees with regular stirring for several months in barrels to develop texture, aromatic complexity, and a balance between richness and mineral tension.

This wine reveals notes of ripe citrus , stone fruit , and yellow apple , complemented by delicate floral touches, spicy nuances, and elegant oak with hints of vanilla and toasted hazelnut . On the palate, the texture is creamy yet supported by a lively acidity , with a balanced structure, beautiful concentration, and a long , saline finish that highlights the minerality of the coastal terroir.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and 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 share 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 are also 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, heavily 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 Cinsault 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.