Pour a glass of Vriesenhof Unwooded Chardonnay 2018 and enjoy a wine of true Stellenbosch origin.
The 2018 vintage, released in February, is light and refreshing and bursting with fruit. The grapes, grown on the south facing slopes of the vineyards, have all the advantages needed to produce wines of exceptional character and quality. Exposed to the cool coastal breezes from False Bay, with soil mostly of decomposed granite and Malmesbury shale, this is a wine which speaks to the world-renowned terroir of Stellenbosch.
Winemaker Nicky Claasens said the drought conditions which ravaged parts of the Cape meant that the grape composition was different to previous years. “However, the fruit was beautiful and compact. Although it was a difficult vintage, the Unwooded Chardonnay 2018 turned out to be a wine which is rich in character and style,” he said.
Made with 100% chardonnay grapes, Vriesenhof Unwooded Chardonnay 2018 has beautiful aromas of citrus and gooseberries, and flavours of pear and white peach, with a lingering lemon freshness on the palate.
Claasens says the wine was given a 24-hour settling period before being racked off the lees. “It is inoculated with specific yeast strains before being fermented at 12-17 degree Celsius for two weeks.” The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation. It is then racked off its lees, and fine, healthy lees added back to the tank and kept on this lees for about six months.
Ideal for drinking now or for the next three years, Vriesenhof Unwooded Chardonnay is the ideal partner for sushi, fish, salads or simply a glass on its own as a pre-dinner aperitif.
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Categories: Chardonnay, Cultivar, Event, Region, Stellenbosch, Vriesenhof
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