Not your average Chardonnay

Wednesday, 25 May, 2016
Lourensford
Lourensford’s Limited Release Chardonnay is definitely not ordinary but instead, an over-achiever. That can be seen from the numerous accolades it won recently.

At the German MUNDUS VINI competition it was awarded with a gold medal and the best White Wine on the show from South Africa.

Also, a double gold at the CONCOURS MONDIAL in Brussels.

And a double silver winner at the TOP 100 South African Wines.

If that does not epitomize an above-average wine, awards from previous vintages include competitions from all over the world with the likes of International Wine Challenge, Best Wine China, Chardonnay du Monde, Michelangelo, International Wine and Spirit Competition and theSommelier Wine Awards.

The Limited Release Chardonnay (previously known as Winemaker’s Selection) is a Single Vineyard wine from vines planted in 2006 in a block called Uitkyk which translates to Lookout. It is situated next to the LourensRiver and the soils are sandy which means that the vines have to put in a bigger effort to grow and be healthy but have more concentrated berries as a result. Low yields ensure high quality.

The grapes are handpicked and pressed at the winery. After pressing, the juice is fed to 225L Burgundian barrels using gravitational flow. The wine will be spending the following 9 to 10 months in these barrels. Parts ofthe juice spontaneously ferments without the addition of commercial yeast, and then age on its primary lees, giving the wine a better complexity and more layers of flavour. During ageing, the barrels are rolled intermittently to stir up the lees and release the manno-proteins that addeven more flavour and structure to enhance the fullness of the wine.

This is definitely a powerful wine with intense ripe pineapple and melon flavours supported by white peach, apricot and hints of jasmine and lemon zest. Orange peel, roasted cashew nuts, toffee and vanilla flavours in the wine reminds of wet pine forest floor in autumn. The wine has a brilliant acidity and strong core due to the natural fermentation. The roundness on the pallet and flavours of orange blossom and lemony zest is supported by a creamy finish.

The 2014 vintage is now available at the tasting room @ R160 and it can be tasted against the 2015 which sells at R190.