Uitkyk Chardonnay 2001

Pale lemon-yellow with faint green tinges. Concentrated ripe citrus fruit backed by buttery and toasty aromas. Time on the lees has added subtle nuances of butterscotch and caramel to make a most alluring introduction. Clasically restrained, but also leaning towards the New World character of ripe citrus, peach, pear and coconut fruits with buttered toast following through onto the palate. A long finish indicates excellent concentration of fruit.

Drink with richer fish such as yellow-tail or salmom baked in cream and mushrooms; also with mussels marinara or a seafood risotto. Delicious with roast pork, apple sauce and crackling; with veal chops braised in the same Chardonnay and in tarragon; and fresh avocado or an avocado mousse. Delightful on its own as it has been judiciously wooded. Serve chilled (but not too cold!) at 12-14ÂºC.

variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]

winery : Uitkyk Estate

winemaker : Estelle Lourens

wine of origin : Coastal

analysis : alc : 13.99 % vol rs : 3.0 g/l pH : 3.32 ta : 5.1 g/l va : 0.39 g/l so2 : 110 mg/l fso2 : 49 mg/l

wooded

pack : Bottle

AWARDS

This 2001 vintage is the chardonnay debut of Uitkykâ€™s new and talented young winemaker, Estelle Swart. A fascinating combination of Burgundian style and New World charm, it is, unmistakably, a very fine and origin-expressive wine from the Simonsberg sub-apellation of Stellenbosch.

ageing : The Chardonnayâ€™s youthful individuality makes it superb enjoyment right now. However, if cellared under the right conditions, it will gain in complexity and character - just like the 1999 vintage which did exceptionally well in bottle.

in the vineyard : The grapes used to craft this wine came from two single vineyards on the Estate called Jakkalskloof (â€œJackalâ€™s Ravineâ€) and Bobbejaanberg (â€œBaboonâ€™s Mountainâ€). In the early days of settlement, free-roaming jackals and baboons were found on the property. The Uitkyk labels are truly African in character: not only do their wines express their origin, but the names of their vineyards could only have originated at the southern tip of Africa!

The â€œJackalâ€ and â€œBaboonâ€ vineyards are situated at 250 - 300 metres above sea level and face north-west. The vines, which are between 7 and 14 years old, are grafted onto nematode-resistant Richter 99 and 110 rootstocks and are grown in soils originating from decomposed granite. They are trellised on a three-wire â€œfenceâ€ system and are not irrigated.

The yield from both vineyards was a very low 4 tonnes per hectare, which further enhanced the quality of the fruit.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand between 21 and 25 February 2001 after reaching an average Balling of 24 degrees.

in the cellar : No skin contact has been allowed. Subsequently, the must was fermented in wood at a temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius, using a Vin 13 and a D47 yeast strain. After malolactic fermentation which was completed in only 50% of the barrels, the wine was left on its lees for 8 months in 70% new and 30% second-fill French (82%) and American (18%) oak. The wine has not been fined at all. After bottling in December 2001, the Chardonnay 2001 was laid down for 4 months before its release in 2002.

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