Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Salted caramel, burnt lemon and smoky undertones to the yellow stone fruit. It’s toasty and creamy on the palate, full-bodied, with excellent concentration and a rich, delicious finish. Sustainable.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the much-beloved Banghoek subzone of Stellenbosch comes this softly textured white wine. Banghoek loosely translates as "scary corner" and is named after the perceived dangers—maybe robbers or a wild cat on the loose—lurking behind the rocks. The Delaire Graff Estate 2023 Banghoek Chardonnay sources its fruit from five separate parcels that are all characterized by north-facing slopes and cool hillside growing conditions. The grapes are picked by 8 a.m., whole-bunch pressed and refrigerated. No malolactic fermentation occurs, and the wine is aged in oak (with 40% new wood) for 10 months. The aim is to lock in freshness, acidity and varietal perfumes. This pretty wine delivers a citrusy signature that is backed by dried herb and crushed rock. It shows a supple texture that evenly coats the palate.
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.