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 a 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.
Food Pairing
This powerful wine can be matched with strongly flavoured food like duck a l’orange and rich sauces like a walnut and hollandaise sauce, provided that it is not too lemony. It pairs particularly well with crayfish or smoked haddock in a creamy sauce. It is equally good with salmon or crab risottos. Serve chilled but not too cold.
Lourensford Limited Release Chardonnay 2015 (6/CASE) (R199/BOTTLE)
Lourensford Estate experienced a moderately wet winter that allowed vines to go into proper dormancy with budding that started a week or two earlier than usual. We did not have the usual severe South Easter winds at the start of summer. This resulted in very good and even budding and flowering of the vines. We experienced a fairly cool but very dry summer with moderate temperatures and cool nights that resulted in much faster ripening and the earliest recorded harvest dates in history on the Estate. The vines were generally very healthy and in good balance and harmony. With good canopy management and perfect ripening conditions we managed to bring the grapes in at just the desired time. This resulted in refined wines with elegance, good natural acidity and structure.
The harvest date was 20th of February 2015.
In The Vineyard
Altitude: 200m above sea level, and close to the Lourens River.
Age of vines: 10 years
Rootstock: Richter 110
Clones: CY95
Slopes: Situated on a slight Western facing slope
Row direction: South-West to North-East
Soil type: Tukulu soilAnalysis
Alcohol: 15 vol %
pH: 3.68
Total acid: 5.9 g/l
RS: 4.0 g/l
Closure: Hand selected quality corkWine Information
Cultivar: 100% Chardonnay
Wood: 15% of the wine underwent spontaneous fermentation. 38% was fermented in new Burgundian barrels and the balance in older barrels with intermittent barrel rolling to stir up the lees and release the manno-proteins in the yeast cells that adds flavour and structure to the final wine. The wine spent 10 months in barrel on its primary lees.Maturation Potential
This vintage can be enjoyed up to 2020 but will reach its best drinking potential towards the end of 2016 and will possibly peak only towards the end of 2017.
Food Pairing
This powerful wine can be matched with strongly flavoured food like duck a l’orange and rich sauces like a walnut and hollandaise sauce, provided that it is not too lemony. It pairs particularly well with crayfish or smoked haddock in a creamy sauce. It is equally good with salmon or crab risottos. Serve chilled but not too cold.
Accolades
IWSC – Gold (2016)
Michelangelo – Silver (2016)
Concours du Mondial – Double Gold (2016)
Top 100 SA Wines – Double Silver Winner (2016)
Mundus Vini – Gold, Best White Wine of Show SA (2016)