Description
The 2016 Reserve Chardonnay has an even better nose than the 2015: lemon sherbet, yellow flowers and freshly sliced white peach bursting from the glass, augmented by a hint of tinned apricot. This is irresistible. The palate is well balanced, very expressive with a superb line of acidity. This is an exuberant Chardonnay that barely knows what to do with all that nascent energy. Carl van der Merwe suggested that the 2015 Reserve Chardonnay might have greater longevity. You know, I suspect this might have a longer arc.
- Country: South Africa
- Region: Coastal Region
- Size: 750ml
- Color: White
Varietal
Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
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