Winemaker Notes
The greatly beneficial impact of the maritime climate on the terroir of this classic Stellenbosch Chardonnay contributes to its complex aromas of perfumed nasturtium and fresh cut lime. It boasts superb vibrancy with flavors of fresh, crunchy yellow stone fruit, a touch of flinty salinity and finishes with a textured and lush mouthfeel.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Attractive aromas of spiced apples, praline, hazelnuts, salted caramel and salted butter. Wonderfully concentrated and rich but with bright acidity and a delicious saltiness.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Leeu Passant 2023 Stellenbosch Chardonnay comes from high gravel slopes on the Helderberg Mountain near False Bay, where cooling winds from the Atlantic keep vineyard temperatures below 28 degrees Celsius and allow for long, slow ripening in a Mediterranean climate. Timing was critical in 2023, as blocks picked late were affected by rain, yet this site retained remarkable freshness and vitality. Pressed whole-bunch fruit settles overnight before the aerated must is racked to barrel for spontaneous fermentation and full malolactic conversion that lasted more than 60 days. The wine spends one year on its primary lees in 225-liter French oak without sulfur, enhancing textural depth and saline detail, before being blended and returned to oak for a second year of maturation. Wind exposure during flowering can cause shatter, naturally reducing yields and increasing concentration.
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.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.