2020 De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay
£21.90 / Per Bottle
Pale lemon colour that is clear, clear and bright. Subtle and elegant with a steely core, its aroma portrays freshness and perfume to the concentrated flavours of coconut, ginger, marmalade, and spun sugar. Careful oaking and extended lees contact have added texture and richness to this youthful and developing wine.
18 in stock
Varietals
100% Charddonnay
Winemaker’s notes
- Viticulture
High on the Witzenberg Mountain range in Ceres, at an altitude of 960 meters above sea level, this unique ‘appellation’ exhibits South Africa’s only truly continental climate with winter temperatures frequently dropping below freezing. The cooler night-time temperatures and hotter daytime temperatures during the growing season results in slower ripening and more concentrated fruit. Ceres fruit displays surprising cooler climate characteristics in comparison to other regions of the Western Cape.
- Vinification
Handpicked at the break of dawn, carefully selected grapes are destemmed, crushed and lightly pressed at De Grendel with a recovery of only 650 litres per ton. After two days of settling, the juice is inoculated and transferred to 225 litre French Oak barrels for fermen-tation of which 1/3 is new, 1/3 is second fill and 1/3 is third fill. The wine is barrel aged ‘sur lie’ for 6 months whilst undergoing ‘bâtonnage’. Bâtonnage is the method of stirring up the lees and takes place twice a week before malolactic fermentation and once a month after malolactic fermentation to enhance the mouth feel and structure of the wine.
An oaked Chardonnay will be complemented by slightly creamier dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto, or butternut gnocchi with shavings of rich Gruyere cheese. For something out of the ordinary, enjoy it with fried arancini stuffed with goats cheese to pair with this Chardonnay.
Drink now to 2029.
| Global Chardonnay Masters 2019 | Master |
| Winemag Chardonnay 2019 | 90 Points |
