De Wetshof “The Site” Chardonnay 2014

Winery location: Robertson

Wine of Origin: Robertson

Winemaker:  Peter de Wet

Background:  De Wetshof Estate, outside Robertson, has its history dating back to 1949 and today under the ownership of larger than life wine personality Danie de Wet and his sons Peter and Johann, they are undoubtedly one of the foremost  wine producers in South Africa. It was Danie’s passion for Chardonnay which drove him many years ago to bring to the Cape the first root stocks for this variety. Besides Chardonnay, Danie was also the first man to locally produce Sauvignon Blanc and Rhine Riesling and they are still on the De Wetshof portfolio today. However his passion along with his wine maker son, Peter, they continue to produce an excellent range of both unwooded and wooded Chardonnays (vines thrive on the farms limestone rich soils), the Site Chardonnay being one of them.

The 2014 Site Chardonnay is produced from a vineyard planted by Danie in 1986, the only vineyard in South Africa that produces wine from the classic 119 Burgundian clone developed by the University of Burgundy in Dijon. The Site’s label carries the precise co-ordinates of the vineyard: “S33° 53’ 2.38” E20° 01’ 23.86”. “With the age of this block, the magnificent plant material and its unique soil structure, it was only fair to pay tribute to the block by naming the wine after this special site and offering its co-ordinates to anyone who wanted to track the vineyard down and see it for themselves,” says Danie.

The vineyard yields between 8 to 12 tons per hectare. After hand-harvesting and crushing, the grapes were left on the skins for three days to give the juice ultimate complexity. The wine was barrel fermented and then matured on the lees in French oak for 12 months.

Result:  Aromas of lime and vanilla bring out the characteristics of this specific clone and soil perfectly with classical citrus and nutty flavours on the palate from the limestone, while the clay soil component adds balanced complexity

When to drink: Now till 2020

Drink with what: Smoked salmon pasta!

Expect to pay: R186.00