Rich & Oaky

Meerlust Chardonnay 2023 is very bright pale-yellow colour with green, vivacious hue. Complex, appealing nose of apricot, peach, pear, lemon zest and floral notes with hints of toasted almonds. On the palate the wine is well structured and linear but retains generous focused stone fruit flavours with sleek, balanced, and crisp acidity. The wine remains vivacious and fresh on the finish with clean citrus fruit underpinned by minerality. The wine has a long, very pleasant lingering finish. 93/100 Tim Atkin Now sourced from parcels on shale as well as granite soils, the Meerlust Chardonnay is a lot fresher and less worked than it used to be. Sourced from six different blocks, it has apricot and citrus fruit flavours, a hint of wax and sourdough bread and subtle toasty oak. 2023-26

The Holden Manz Chardonnay 2020 Produced using grapes from two cool climate sites. One is next to the cool ocean breezes of False Bay and the other high on the slopes of the Simonsberg. The berries are picked in the cool of the early morning then chilled to 5ºC before being whole bunch pressed using the “champagne” cycle. Clarified juice is wild fermented 50% in new 225 litre French oak barrels and 30% in second fill barrels. Batonnage only starts when two thirds of the fermentation is completed. The wine is bottled approximately 12 months after fermentation with around 10% of the wine passing through malolactic fermentation.

Iona Elgin Highlands Chardonnay 2023 Stylish and Burgundian with bright citrus, white stone fruit, oyster shell minerality and a hint of brioche. The purity of fruit combined with well-judged oak and bright fresh acidity result in a wine that is layered and complex with a lingering finish Christian Eedes – Winemag Despite a wet and cool growing season, Eedes praised the wine’s restraint and elegance: Rating: 93/100 Tasting Notes: Orchard blossom, pear, lime, lemon, and herbs. Palate: Medium-bodied with racy acidity and a pithy finish—a poised, very elegant vintage.

Kara-Tara Chardonnay 2022 is made with grapes from Stellenbosch, Paarl, Overberg and Elgin. Partially fermented in new oak barrels, this wine has a firm acidity and balances a nuttiness with stone fruit flavours. 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW After the highly acclaimed 2021, all eyes were on Rudger van Wyk to see what magic he could pull out the hat with the 2022 Kara-Tara release. Made from grapes sourced from four sites in three regions, namely Stellenbosch, Elgin and the Overberg, this wine has all the trappings of a cool climate masterpiece clearly moulded on a fresh vintage of Pouilly Fuissé or Saint Veran in Burgundy. Matured for eight months in barrels utilising 10% new oak, the wine reveals an attractively perfumed nose of honey suckle, white citrus, lemon verbena, popcorn, grated lime peel, zingy lemongrass and gentle herbal notes that intermingle with subtle leesy, biscuity nuances. On the palate there are deliciously racy acids that invigorate the taste buds, framing an intense yellow citrus fruit and oatmeal concentration that melts into a stony river pebble minerality. Fabulous laser sharp texture with a fine, linear cool climate precision, majestic crystallinity and a classically restrained finish. White Burgundy drinkers are going to be bowled over by its light touch 12.5% alcohol as well as its decidedly old world demeanour. Drink this on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.