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Vergelegen's winemaking philosophy is simple : there must be harmony between the old and the new.  

CHARDONNAY 1997

On the nose this wine shows tropical fruit and lime flavours mixed with hints of butterscotch and vanilla. These flavours flow through onto the palate to form a pleasing whole. The aftertaste is lingering and crisp. This is a very accessible Chardonnay that will complement shellfish as well as pasta and chicken dishes.

AWARDS

  International Wine Challenge 1999 : Seal of Approval
Veritas Awards 1998 : Gold
Michelangelo International Awards 1998 : Silver

Origin

 

Most of the grapes used for this wine are from the farm and the rest of the grapes were sourced from Stellenbosch. The harvest was fairly late because of the cool summer and this caused excellent flavour development to take place.

Vinification

 

The Chardonnay grapes were handled fairly oxidatively with no SO2 until the end of fermentation. Only 30% of the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks while the rest was fermented in French oak barrels. While the wine was in barrels a small percentage of the wine was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine spent approximately eight months in barrels after which it was blended with the wine in the tanks. The Pinot Noir component which was made in the blanc de noir style was then added to give more finesse to the wine. Bottled at the end of November 1997.

Composition

 

95 % Chardonnay
5 % Pinot Noir

Analysis

 

13.4 % Alc
2.5 g/l RS
6.3 g/l TA
3.51 pH
108 mg/l Total SO2

 

Maturation

 

This wine is wonderful young, but will begin to show its true colours after six months. It can age for another three to four years to become even more complex.