2016 Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
From the moment your nose goes into the glass, the 2016 Chardonnay commands your attention. Instantaneously, the soft, elegant oak tones are matched with classic apple and pear tones, lemon curd and hints of soft white peach. On the palate, the wine is expressive, with a focused core of opulent tree fruit, a structured beam of acidity through the mid-palate, and lift from well-managed, integrated oak flavors. The long finish has me thinking of something between the Russian River Valley and Montrachet. This is how you make Chardonnay. Bottles of this are going into my cellar and I recommend you do the same.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Shale over clay. Dry farmed, indigenous yeasts. Neutral 300-litre barrels. Both creamy and stony/dusty on the nose. Concentrated without excess weight, pure and direct, bright citrus all wrapped up in seductive but subtle oak-influenced leesy texture. This has a long life ahead. Marked persistence. GV (JH)
Cream, cereal and white fruit. Dry and a little understated but it has excellent savoury meal notes to finish. (RH)
The 2016 Chardonnay contains 10% fruit from the Elinskloof vineyard (hence the different WO than the 2015). The tightly wound bouquet of citrus fruit, honeysuckle and light chalky scents gathers momentum in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slightly petrolly opening and a little more viscous than the 2015, featuring a touch of spice and perhaps not quite the length of the 2016. Excellent, but it needs a couple of years in bottle.