According to De Wetshof CEO Johann de Wet, 2017 yielded grapes of superb chemical composition, structure and balance, aspects that are definitely evident in the Limestone Hill, one of the five Chardonnays from De Wetshof.
“Despite the dry winter of 2016 and the hot, windy spring and early summer, this year’s harvest was completed in mild weather conditions which saw the grapes reaching even and optimal ripeness,” says De Wet. “With over 70% of De Wetshof’s harvest being Chardonnay, even ripening is key and initial predictions pertaining to grape quality due to the dry weather were exceeded.”
De Wetshof is particularly precise about their daily harvesting schedule. “We begin working in the vineyards at around 03:00, and as soon as the mercury reaches 27°C the pickers stop,” he says. “As it gets warmer, the grape's structure changes. The bunches therefore are allowed to rest during the heat of day, and cool down at night – leaving them revitalised and fresh to be harvested the next morning.”
The grapes are thus picked in the coolness of morning, with the emphasis on capturing the natural complexities of the Chardonnay grape immediately for the making of this unwooded wine. After de-stemming, pressing and overnight settling the juice is racked-off from the sediment and pumped into stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine is left on the lees under controlled temperatures. Weekly stirring of the lees ensures maximum flavours are released into the wine until the wines are ready for bottling.
“Like all our Chardonnays, the Limestone Hill is made from vineyards growing on selected patches of terroir that influence the individual style of each wine,” says De Wet. “The key to Robertson is the high limestone content of the soils, limestone being an element ensuring chemical balance and ageability in the wines.”
Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow the Limestone Hill to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. An unwooded wine, Limestone Hill has notes of grapefruit and nuts, with the complexity balanced by a nuanced elegance ending with a delicate ripeness.
What is important in making an unwooded Chardonnay, says Johann, is that it is not just a matter of keeping the juice and the wine away from oak. “The chemistry of the grapes and the vineyard conditions have to be conducive to producing a Chardonnay that shows its best features in an unwooded environment,” he says.
The American critic Robert Parker describes the wine as such: “The De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay never sees oak, and offers impeccably pure, refreshing apple, peach and lemon fruit, a lovely leesy richness of texture, and a nutty, chalky, fruit-filled finish of imposing length. Understated and less tropical than some of the better un-oaked Australian Chardonnays, this wine possesses far better balance and sheer drinkability – not to mention more finesse – than 99% of the world’s Chardonnay I have experienced at its price.”
The wine is superb with oysters, cream-based pasta dishes and light curries, as well as roast pork and veal dishes.
Recommended retail price: R85