Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Brothers Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson are third-generation winemakers, choosing the family business over their backgrounds in architecture (Andrew) and economics (Peter-Allan). They established Crystallum in 2007, producing this chardonnay from their five estate vineyards in Hemel-en-Aarde. This wine is fermented in small French oak barrels where it ages for nine months, rounding its delicate structure. The cool-climate influence gives this an apple-skin acidity and waxy finish that would serve well with any dish deepened with the flavor of bacon.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A relatively cool, maritime climate area, Walker Bay includes three important wards: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. These sites benefit from the cooling ocean winds and are reputed for the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinotage.