CHAPTER FIVE

The Chapters

CHAPTER FIVE

2020

This is a 100% Chardonnay from a single 17-year-old trellised vineyard on the Southern facing slopes of the Babylonstoren mountains in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in the Walker Bay Region of South Africa, growing on decomposed sandstone soils.

This wine has a brilliant deep straw colour. The nose displays typical cool climate Chardonnay notes of citrus and elderflower. This is balanced with notes of toasted oak, freshly baked bread, roasted almonds and a hint of flint. The palate is full and rich with vibrant grapefruit and lemon zest flavours leading to a structured mid-palate with obvious oak, beautifully balanced by a mouthwatering freshness and salinity on the finish.

Food Pairing
This wine is a perfect accompaniment to grilled fish, and chicken dishes.

R295.00

SOLD OUT

The grapes were harvested at 21,4 brix on the 14 th February. The grapes were picked into small grape crates and placed in a cold store overnight. The grapes were whole bunch pressed the next day and the juice settled overnight before being taken to 228L French barrels, 33% being new, for fermentation. The fermentation was allowed to start naturally and once completed the wine was topped and matured sur-lie for 9 months with regular lees stirring.

This wine was bottled in November 2020.

pH: 3.39
TA: 6.20 g/l
RS: 3.2 g/l
Alc: 13.0 % by vol.

This wine drinks well on release but will reward with cellaring for up to 10 years from harvest.

Chardonnay – Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

AREA:	Walker Bay
ALTITUDE:	285 metres above sea level
ASPECT:	South West
ROW DIRECTION:	North to South
YEAR PLANTED:	2003
SOIL TYPE:	Medium Potential Sandstone Soils
TRAINING:	Trellised
PRUNING:	Spur pruned
IRRIGATION:	Supplementary drip
PLANT DENSITY:	3667 vines per hectare (1.5m X 2.5m spacing)
CROPPING:	6 tons/ha or 39 hl/ha