Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2022

Located in the Simonsberg region of Stellenbosch, the Glenelly estate enjoys a Mediterranean climate conducive to exceptional wines. The influence of cool Atlantic winds tempers the sunny days and refreshes the nights, ensuring the grapes mature gradually while maintaining their acidic freshness. The Estate Reserve Chardonnay cuvée was vinified with a hands-off approach to faithfully express the character of the grape variety. The grapes, pressed in whole bunches, have retained all their aromatic freshness. The juice ferments naturally in 500-liter oak barrels, a mixture of new and second-hand wood. Aging on fine lees for 10 months (20% of which is new), with some stirring, adds texture and complexity. After 11 months in barrel, the wine offers richness, balance, and precision. This wine reveals complex aromas of quince, citrus peel, lime zest , and fresh butter, with nuances of pear. On the palate, it offers a rich and balanced texture, with lively citrus flavors and mineral notes, leading to a long, textured finish.

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.