Clay Shales Chardonnay
The Clay Shales Chardonnay is a single-vineyard wine from a site on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge that is ideally located in a mountain shadow, at high altitude and near the ocean. The wine is named after the Bokkeveld shale and clay soils on which it is grown, which combine to provide the perfect base for a balanced, Grand Cru-rivaling wine.
Latest release (2023)
Complex and arresting, this vintage melds the freshness of grapefruit and white pear with the richness and depth of banoffee pie. The palate is textured and pithy, showing salted macadamia and oatmeal beside lemon peel. A generous expression of the single vineyard site, but with the fruit and acidity to age.
Vinification
Whole-bunch pressed with no enzymes, SO2 or commercial yeasts added at pressing. After an overnight rough-settling, the juice was sent to barrel, with fermentation and ageing taking place over 10 months in a 2600L Foudre.
Technical Analysis
pH 3.39
alc% 13.71%
Total acidity 6.2 g/l
Total sulphites 39 mg/l
Residual sugar 2.9 g/l