Winemaker Notes
A linear, steely and Chablis-esque vintage with lime leaf, green apple and lychee up front. Aromas of frangipani flowers and oat cakes arrive as the wine opens up, with subtle lemon meringue and buttered toast flavors adding sumptuousness against zippy acidity and a pithy, chalky texture. A long and languorous finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This shows fine cut and integration, with well-honed acidity and a subtle, salty underpinning enmeshed with flavors of ripe green apple, kiwifruit, Meyer lemon peel and white blossoms. Spiced finish. Drink now. 50 cases imported.
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.