2017 Kleine Zalze Chardonnay Vineyard Selection

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 77 points

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  9/10/2019 - forceberry wrote: 77 Points

  From a combination of three vineyards in Stellenbosch and one in Robertson. The grape skins were cold-soaked with the must for 12 hours. Fermented and aged for 12 months French 350-to-400-liter oak barrels that are - according to the winery - new (60%) and 2nd and 3rd fill (40%), or - according to the importer - used barrels from 2nd to 6th use, ranging from 30% to 10% per type. 13,5% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 6,4 g/l acidity.
  
  Pale lemon yellow color. Fruity and rather sweet-toned nose with aromas of candied gummi bear tones, some toasty wood spice, a little bit of pineapple, a hint of apple sauce and a touch of caramel oak. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and somewhat sweet-toned with rich flavors of golden apples, some pineapple, a little bit of candied gummi bear character, light caramel tones and a sweet hint of toasty oak spice. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity, which doesn't really feel adequate enough to make the wine feel fresh or structured. The finish is ripe, juicy and rather sweet-toned with soft, medium-long flavors of pineapple, some woody spice, a little bit of gummi bear, a hint of red apple and a touch of creamy oak.
  
  Meh. A soft, easy and boring Chardonnay with too much ripeness and too much oak. The wine is just so ripe and fruity that it tastes even somewhat sweet, even though there is barely any residual sugar here. The oak doesn't really contribute much to the taste, apart from adding somewhat disjointed caramel and toasted wood tones that serve more to distract than to add complexity. Overall a very uninteresting and forgettable effort. Pretty much waste of money at 13,49€.

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