De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2016

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 Limestone Hill Chardonnay being one of their un wooded versions.

The Limestone Hill vineyards are planted on soils containing an abundance of free limestone, complemented by a heavy clay component. This ensures excellent water-retention and adds structure and complexity to the fruit, allowing optimum varietal expression with classic Chardonnay flavours of soft grapefruit and nuts. The grapes were picked in the early mornings to keep them cool which helps to keep the complexities of this variety. After fermentation, and prior to bottling, the wine spent 4 months on the lees, stirred weekly, which allowed for maximum concentration of flavours to evolve.

Result: This wine exhibits subtle green melon and lemon lime characters on the nose whilst the palate offers white peach and honey flavour with a tang of green apples.

When to drink: now till 2019

Drink with what: On its own or delightful with creamy pasta dishes and light curries

Expect to pay: R90.00