Durbanville Hills’ 2013
Chardonnay has taken the coveted Grand d’Or award (double gold) at the 2014
Michelangelo International Wine Awards proving that the wines produced by
Durbanville Hills can compete at the highest level. More than 1500 wines were
entered for the competition which is judged by a panel of international experts
from Europe, the USA, Australia, the UK and Asia.
White-wine maker Gunther
Kellerman says that the wine is available at supermarkets and liquor outlets
nationwide giving consumers the opportunity to enjoy award-winning wines at
competitive pricing.
“We firmly believe
award-winning wines shouldn’t be exclusive to enjoy on special occasions. We
continuously strive to ensure consistent quality and freshness, no matter the
bottling date, so consumers can be assured the wine they tasted a few months
back is the exact same blend as the one they are drinking now.”
Kellerman says the wine
fills the nose with zesty citrus, butterscotch and hints of fresh apple and
orange blossoms that carry through to the palate, ending with a crisp finish.
“The wine is made for
enjoying with food- we’ve created an easy-drinking Chardonnay which pairs exceptionally
well with kingklip, prawns, a selection of button, shitake and oyster mushrooms
fried with butter, garlic and onion, and convenient, everyday meals such as
macaroni and cheese.”
He says they have only
lightly wooded the wine so as to accentuate its pronounced fruit character.
“The bulk of the wine was fermented in steel tanks and left on the lees for six
months, being stirred second week. About 15% of the wine was matured in new
French oak for about six months to ensure that the wood does not overpower the
fresh, citrus flavours.”
Chardonnay buds early in the
season and also ripens relatively early. The grapes for this wine were
harvested by hand in February from vineyards located mostly on the lower
southern slopes of the Durbanville hills some 250 metres above sea level and
growing in dark red soils. The vineyards, yielding about 9 tons per hectare,
were harvested from mid to late February when the fruit had turned a ripe,
yellow colour.
The 2013
Durbanville Hills Chardonnay is available at all major supermarkets and liquor
outlets and retails for around R47 per bottle.