Winemaker Notes
This single vineyard Chardonnay portrays a spectrum of flavors framed in elegance and complexity, typical features of a classic Chardonnay. Citrus and pear-drop notes are complemented by an intriguing nuttiness, with elegant citrus on the finish. The Bateleur improves in dimension and complexity with age and under the correct storage conditions it can mature in the bottle formany years.
An elegantly muscular wine, Bateleur can be enjoyed with leg of lamb and other roasted red meat dishes,as well as with certain cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Rich and plush nose with ripe mango and sweet cinnamon spice.Full bodied and unctuous with a kick of acidity for backbone. Lovely elegant and creamy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Bateleur Chardonnay has a beautiful nose of pan-seared apples, pears, toasted almonds and walnuts with elegant hints of corn kernel and lemon curd with cinnamon tones floating on top of the glass. Medium to full-boded, the palate is expressive and broad, with an impressive depth of flavors, which are balanced with layers of complex leesy tones across the mid-palate. The wine lingers with intention and precision on the finish with nutty and citrus characteristics that are both sweet and spicy. It's a nicely made wine. Bravo, well done!
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Vinous
Originating, like last year’s Treppchen Spätlese, in the Kribslay vineyard, this tank-rendered, feather-light, unabashedly sweet bottling was picked late, because fruit in this exceedingly sparse-soiled, rocky location tends to resist rot. “The berries were very thin-skinned, deeply golden and brown,” noted Christian Hermann. There is a quince jelly glaze here, backed by an oily texture, both of which point to the aforementioned circumstances, and beautifully complement poached apple and white peach. A mouthwatering hint of salted caramel as well as a juicy modicum of fresh fruit adds appeal to the soothingly lingering finish.
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Wine Spectator
Expansive on the palate, with a silky texture, sporting notes of peach, citrus blossom, toast and vanilla, exhibiting good cut. The finish extends with dry honey and spice details. Well-integrated, showing the potential for further development. Drink now through 2029.
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.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.