2017 Anthonij Rupert, Protea, Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa
About this WINE
Anthonij Rupert
From its home base on historic L’Ormarins wine farm beneath the jagged peaks of the Groot Drakenstein mountains in Franschhoek, Anthonij Rupert Wines has cast its net wide, across the length and breadth of the Cape winelands, in search of what it takes to make the finest wines this corner of the winemaking world has to offer.
Swartland
After Stellenbosch, the west coast district of Swartland (25 miles due north of Cape Town, between the towns of Malmesbury and Piketberg) now ranks as the Cape's most exciting wine-producing district.
Settled initially by nomadic Khoikhoi from Namibia, the Dutch brought trade and vines to the region in the 17th century. Viticulture was developed only more recently.This contrasts with an ancient geology which has brought a mix of shale, arenite sandstone and granite soils air-conditioned by the Atlantic Ocean nearby.
Chenin Blanc and Shiraz seem to do best, as exemplified by the wines of Eben Sadie and Mullineux.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
The nose is delicate and fresh with aromas of pear, pineapple and melon. The palate is lively and bright with a core of citrus fruit and ripe stone-fruit, with a refreshing finish and soft texture. This is one of our first wines to be sold under Helix closure – open simply by twisting the cork, the bottle is resealable and reusable.
Katherine Dart MW – Wine Buyer
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