Bouchard Finlayson was one of five South African producers, including Boschendal, Robertson Winery, De Wetshof and De Grendel, to be rated amongst the world’s top Chardonnays in the recently announced Global Chardonnay Masters in the under £20 category, presented by The Drinks Business.
Labels included a broad range of regions, ranging as far and wide as Sicily, Israel, Chile and Australia, each wine judged blind without any knowledge of its source country, which allowed the expert panel of judges, made up of Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, to assess wines purely for quality without prejudice about their region of origin.
The Drinks Business awarded a Gold medal to Bouchard Finlayson’s 2014 Missionvale Chardonnay. The judging panel cited the winery as ‘one of South Africa’s most respected producers of Burgundy-style whites and reds’ and praised the wine as a ‘great example of relatively affordable Chardonnay in a restrained style’. Tasting notes described ‘peach flavours but also a firm apple-like bite, combined with a background toastiness from barrel-ageing’ - concluding with the verdict of ‘a first-rate Chardonnay at an attractive price.’
The Bouchard Finlayson 2014 Missionvale Chardonnay is available at the cellar door at R239 per bottle.
@BouchFinlayson
@FiveStarPRZA
ABOUT BOUCHARD FINLAYSON
Established in 1989 in the temperate Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on 125 hectares (312 acres) of Walker Bay's prime viticultural land, Bouchard Finlayson Vineyard and Winery is a small cellar dedicated to the quality production of Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. Ever since releasing their first vintages, the name Bouchard Finlayson has been internationally synonymous with excellence. Today, owned by the Red Carnation Hotels’ Tollman family and under the leadership of Victoria Tollman, founder Peter Finlayson and winemaker Chris Albrecht, 22 hectares (54 acres) of the estate are currently under vine with 50% devoted to the varietal for which Peter is most acclaimed – Pinot noir. Other cultivars under production include Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Sangiovese, as well as a handful under exploration. Bouchard Finlayson is a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Conservation Champion.
Situated on the R320 near Hermanus, Bouchard Finlayson vineyard and winery is open for tastings and sales Monday to Friday from 09h00 to 17h00 and on Saturdays from 10h00 to 13h00. For further information, call +27.28 312 3515; email info@bouchardfinlayson.co.za; or visit www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za.