Celebration of Chardonnay

It was a gorgeous afternoon in Robertson, and we spent it tasting the best of South Africa's Chardonnay, both still and sparkling, with a slap-up lunch to boot.

• 2009 Avondale Chardonnay Armilla Blanc de Blanc Flawed

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl

  Unfortunately the wine was badly corked

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• 2010 Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs Brut 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  (Tasted Blind): Mid yellow in colour with a good mousse. Plenty of fruit on the nose with white peach, satsuma, shortbread and chalk dust with more a light lees than strong autolytic characters (it had 36 months on its lees and half the wine was fermented in barrels). The palate reflects a pleasant, leesy, creamy texture, fresh acidity, but little autolytic notes. Some slices of ginger join an altogether more tropical bent on the palate, which is quite fruity and attractive, like wine over a serious one. Finishes quite dry and sharp.

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• 2011 Genevieve Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Brut 82 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg

  (Tasted Blind) This deep yellow-gold wine has a fine mousse that shows age on the nose. It has dried orange peel, spun sugar quality, and barley sugar. While there are hints of melba toast, the wine feels wide and sagging and a little volatile, resulting in rather a clumsy wine. It has seen better days.

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• 2011 Simonsig Chardonnay Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) A bright mid-yellow colour with a fine, persistent mousse. A very direct bouquet of crisp white fruits and minerals layered with subtle notes of brioche and warm sourdough. The entry is intense with classic apple notes with a tight, vibrant acidity that propels the wine forward with notable vigour. Light autolytic characters with depth and a linear palate shape gives this refined the polish of a classy drink. A prolonged finish leaves with a clean, crushed stone impression. Very precise Blanc de Blancs.

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• 2011 Sterhuis Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow, touch browning on rim. Plenty of savoury nuances greet the nose with biscuit, marmite, buttered brioche and a hint of chemical. A rich style, the wine has plenty of Chardonnay fruit of peach and apple complex with a lovely autolytic intensity that gives excellent concentration to the mid-palate. A fuller style, this has breadth and depth of fruit and a long tail.

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• 2012 Klein Constantia Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) Brut 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow with a persistent foamy mousse. The wine is rather shy with lemon blossom, green apple, and subtle brioche. The palate is fleshier with a strident acidity that begins elegantly with that fruit-centred mid-palate but tapers towards the finish. It feels less integrated, almost as though it were added. Possibly, I am being hard, but it was certainly elegant, rather light-bodied, and did improve with time in the glass.

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• 2013 Silverthorn Wines The Green Man Brut MCC 90 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) It is mid-yellow in colour with a foamy mousse and aromas of white peach, yellow apple, and light autolytic notes with a waxy lemon element. The palate is richer with decent flavour concentration, more towards orange than lemon, with a fleshy fruit and juicy acidity. More breadth to the wine, this is a riper style carried off well, erring at times to a fizzy Chardonnay. Long with an apple-y finish.
  Blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir

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• NV Colmant Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  (Tasted Blind) Light to medium yellow with a fine mousse. Lovely, intense aromas of yeast and freshly baked bread with lighter notes of peach, lemon and green apple. Pretty white fruits, some light yeasty bready elements. A more savoury, autolytic style that has a lovely lees-y quality, a tingling acidity and linear palate shape. White stone fruits play with green apple and some chalky texture to give a pretty, upright and raked back wine that feels sophisticated and finessed. Excellent length, this is a smart wine.

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• 2012 Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Blanc de Blancs 86 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow-gold with a light mousse. A touch of chemical at first, nose before a gentle autolytic lees and biscuit note creeps in. Not a lot of fruit, but some tangerine and peach appear with a light lemony quality. With swirling, it did improve, and on the palate, it is quite savoury over fruity with a zesty acidity with quite some new oak, but not in great shape - seemed a little ponderous, rather big and hulking with a strange pong reduction and a little short. Not completely terrible. Very dry exit.

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• 2014 Glenelly Estate Chardonnay Glass Collection Unoaked Chardonnay 86 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour, the wine is shy and restrained with faint hints of mineral, chalk, green apple and with a subtle oatmeal. However, there is a chemical note that distracts despite blowing off, like a chlorinated swimming pool. A lively acidity threads the wine together, and whilst not intense, gently massages the palate with light stone fruits and even a hint of cinnamon. A bit simple?

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• 2014 Constantia Uitsig Chardonnay Reserve 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  (Tasted Blind) Light+ yellow, the ripe aromas deliver yellow cling peach, sun-kissed nectarine, butter, and a sensation of botrytis. A full-bodied Chardonnay, the wine has a rich palate with nectarine flesh, peach slices towards light apricot, balanced by a juicy acidity and apple skin texture. Rather showy and bright, the wine is delicious but a tad simplistic, with a rather generous alcohol and medium finish.

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• 2014 Springfield Estate Chardonnay Wild Yeast 89 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow in colour. Warm ripe fruits on the nose with yellow peach, satsuma, nectarine, Bartlett pear, and a smear of butter. It felt like a warmer area, and the palate seemed less defined, with a plumper, broader mid-palate, fleshy texture and a juicy acidity to balance. Rich, there is a touch of RS on the back palate, suggesting a more commercial styling with a fruit-forwardness. A little leesy creaminess does add interest, though, and the finish is reasonably long with a touch of crushed rocks.

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• 2015 De Wetshof Chardonnay Bon Vallon 90 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. The nose is light and delicate with nuances of greengage, yellow plum, white peach, Alpine herbs and a lick of vanilla. The entry is more that creamy leesy quality with vanilla pod and more peach-y notes coming through. The fruit has a sweetness to the mid-palate and even feels a little tropical with mango (?), but is assuaged by a bright line of acidity, making for a delicious lifted tail as it finishes impressively long. Rather good if not super complex.

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• 2015 Bouchard Finlayson Chardonnay Missionvale 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. It shows a little evolution with savoury notes that join creamy honey and minerals. Not that fresh on entry, the wine is quite restrained with a lively acidity but a rich mid-palate that broadens out with some apple and honey, yet seems to work in some tidal pool that helps keep it flowing. Quite a pithy texture as it opens up, the wine improves in the glass, and the oak seems integrated. Medium length it is a little phenolic on the exit.
  13.5% ABV. On clay soils.

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• 2015 Eikendal Vineyards Chardonnay Janina 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow. Friendly aromas of white peach, Gala apple, chilled melon and vanilla melded into a leesy oatmeal and yoghurt lactic quality that works rather well. The palate is leesy with a ripe, fresh, fridge-cooled fruit quality with poise and lift on the mid-palate that leads to a leesy creamy texture that gives mid-palate breadth and concentration. Very juicy acidity with a pithy texture that gives elongation to the finish as apples, pears and a citron tart play out - almost some apple skins. Really smart wine.

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• 2015 Glen Carlou Chardonnay 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl

  (Tasted Blind) Medium yellow. A touch of reduction on the nose with struck match that unfolded to mineral, greengage, green apple and a leesy, creme fraiche note. Quite savoury, the wine is elegant with some complexity whereby the reductive element works rather well, finishing long with a smoky, gunflint and saline length.

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• 2016 De Wetshof Chardonnay Limestone Hill 90 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. A fairly intense ripe stone fruit aroma with yellow peach, nectarine, yellow apple and lemon meringue pie with a touch of vanilla and crème anglaise. A rich, creamy entry that is broad and utterly friendly, giving an opulence that has a lively acidity but not quite enough to keep the wine in check, giving a wobbly, slightly plump feel to the wine. Lots of sweet, juicy fruit, almost liquifruit, with some lightly buttered corn on the cob, that at times seems contrived, does make it eminently drinkable and is remarkably persistent in the mouth. Improved in glass.

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• 2013 Môreson Chardonnay Mercator 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow in colour, the aromas are subtle with gentle oak spices, white peach, pineapple, lemon zest, vanilla, butter, and lightly whipped cream alongside a hint of struck match. The palate is a little more intense with plenty of ripe fleshy fruit balanced by a juicy acidity. It feels like a warmer, ripe area but has a better balance than most, incorporating the yellow fruit’s richer profile with a more elegant gait to sit up in the glass. Finishes long with a lemony grapefruit zestiness.

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• 2013 Hartenberg Chardonnay The Eleanor 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind): Mid Yellow in colour. A little chemical reduction at first, then some dry wood, vanilla, spice, smoky and leesy quality with little outright fruit. Quite okay on entry with a dry wood character that persists, some richness from the oatmeal lees, a buttery note and plenty of spiced vanilla infusion that works nicely. Complex, there is a brisk acid that carries the wine along and some orange pith and skin texture that leads to a medium to long finish.

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• 2013 Cape of Good Hope Wine Co Chardonnay Serruria 86 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow-straw with a high tone, fragrant nose with some orchard fruits. Lifted, pretty, the wine has an edge of reduction that seems to work ok whilst the mid-palate is rather simple and fruity with a juicy acidity and a sweetness that persists to the medium finish. A bit simple and non-descript to be honest.

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• 2013 KWV Chardonnay The Mentors 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Medium yellow in colour. Aromas of dry oak, yellow cling peach, nectarine and pineapple circles are slightly overshadowed by a metallic, damp wood chemical character. Broader mid-palate, the wine has an energetic acidity with some saline, tidal pool characters alongside juicy fresh stone fruits. Some oak lingers with a splash of cream, whilst the mid-palate, whilst not fully integrated, did grow on as the wine opened up. A touch of mineral, and again that cold steel leads to a slightly phenolic twist on the medium to long finish.

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• 2014 Groot Constantia Chardonnay 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid-yellow with subtle aromas of minerals, struck match, lemon cream, and a smear of butter, the reduction is kept nicely in check. The mid to full-bodied palate has plenty of citrus-edged fruit a juicy to crispy acidity complemented by oak nuances, minerals and oatmeal leesy notes. Some breadth, the wine has a long finish, exiting with riper tangerine citrus. Rather good.

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• 2014 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay Clonal Selection Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Medium yellow. Restrained notes of minerals, wet chalk and struck match. An intense entry with ripe white fruits, salted lemon and with an oatmeal complexity. Some cream but more bones than flesh, and it seems to work nicely as the minerals guide the wine to an elongated finish. Lovely finesse. No score as conflict of interest

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• 2014 Longridge Chardonnay Clos du Ciel 85 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Deep yellow, the aromas are ripe and rich in intention. Notable butter, porridge oats, spices and stone fruits continue into the palate, giving a fatter, plump style that lacks the balanced acidity, making the wine feel ponderous. Broad, buttery and quite oaky with a stave-y quality, this seemed to me more Chardonnay by numbers.
  Biodynamic grapes.

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• 2014 Vriesenhof Chardonnay 82 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Medium to deep yellow in colour. Very ripe and rich again with a damp wood and chemical component that distracts. The entry is broad and fat with sun-exposed fruit overripe fruits delivering lemon-honey, some pear and yellow apple, but altogether awkward with acid that juts out, feeling unintegrated. Everything is at at sea here - pity.

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• 2014 De Wetshof Chardonnay The Site 89 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Light to medium yellow. A boatload of fruit aromas with spicy oak and crushed nuts mingle with nectarine flesh and white peach. A rich, fleshy entry with oatmeal leesy notes and stone fruit flesh giving a voluptuous mid-palate, kept on track by a fair acidity, yet feels a tad sweet on the back palate. Quite generous with a mineral finish that does rise to a phenolic edge as it opened in glass.
  13.5% ABV, 95% new oak!

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• 2014 Paul Cluver Chardonnay Seven flags 92 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid yellow. The aromas have an interesting mix of crushed rock, ozone/sea air, with vanilla and oak spices. The entry is creamy with an oatmeal texture, lightly toasty with those MLF lactic notes coming through and a positive funky edge, yet still with some juicy fruit at its core. Elegant and correct with a long finish. Approachable and modern styling with some generosity.

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• 2014 Vergelegen Chardonnay Reserve 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. A subtle nose with saline, mineral aromas with Gala apple, white peach and pastry flakes. Quite chalky on entry with a vibrant acidity, the wine is very textured with crushed nuts, mineral, and crème anglaise creaminess. The fruit is mainly stone fruit with a squeeze of satsuma and lemon and a dusting of chalk, sea salt and sweet spices. Pretty good wine, fair length without the intensity throughout. Very smashable.

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• 2014 Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid yellow with white peach aromas infused with minerals, oatmeal and savoury edges of marmite. A little reductive, this works nicely with a raked back acidity giving tension to the mid-palate whilst the core is lemon, satsuma dusted with sweet spices, vanilla extract and with a creamy oatmeal texture yet with some pithy lemon zest too providing some phenolic grip. A fresh wine that is long and undulating, this is excellent.

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• 2014 Uva Mira Chardonnay The Mira 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour, quite shy at first, then slowly lifting lemon blossom, tidal pool, green fruits and a touch of dried porridge oats. Promises lots, and the palate doesn't disappoint with plenty of green apple and fleshy citrus fruits, and vibrant acid grip giving a juicy mid-palate nourished by a creamy oatmeal. Excellent length with good concentration.

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• 2014 DeMorgenzon Chardonnay Reserve 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow. Savoury subtle nuances exit the glass showing golden delicious apple flesh, lemon and white grapefruit with a touch of vanilla and mineral. More expression on the palate, this is a tidy wine that has oatmeal, ripe orchard and peach fruit and judiciously oaked with a light creme fraiche. Detailed the wine has a slightly RS suggestion on the back palate and overall works well without being that compelling. Correct and well made.

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• 2014 Rupert & Rothschild Chardonnay Baroness Nadine 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow. A riper, more open-knit nose with tangerine, yellow peach, chilled honeydew melon and some tropical fruit punch. A touch of vanilla and light toasty oak help complex this fleshy wine that has a line of juicy acidity, some mineral and a pleasant line of citrus nuances without being that deep or head-turning. Perhaps a little one-dimensional, it is again well made but lacks some soul and a little finish.
  90% Elgin fruit with 10% from Barrydale.

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• 2015 Newton Johnson Chardonnay Family Vineyards 94 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Light to medium yellow in colour. The nose has lemons and white peach interlaced with oatmeal and spicy oak with a touch of Gala apple adding a Bircher muesli component. Complex with a lovely zesty texture, the bone dry palate combines lemony fruits, adding a juicy acidity with some lighter tropical notes imbuing some complexity. Along with oatmeal are crushed almonds and hazelnuts, all adding up to a persistent length, fabulous precision-made wine!

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• 2015 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow in colour, the wine had a chemical nose at first with a melted wax element before opening slowly to apple, tidal pool and tangerine peel.
  The light to mid bodied palate had some light honeyed to honeysuckle notes and orange-y elements that give an oily texture, almost a bit forward in its maturity but with a lovely bright acid and saline mid-palate took over that led to a dry chalky finish that displayed sea kelp and mineral. Lingering length. Improved with air substantially.

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• 2015 Neil Ellis Chardonnay Whitehall 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. Restrained aromas with a little soft cheese rind before giving sea salt, dry chalk and lemony notes. An elegant wine that is bone dry with fresh mineral-edged acidity, a light toasty creamy texture with flavours of lemon zest, with a touch of nectarine and a persistent finish. Finishes chalky

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• 2015 Ataraxia Chardonnay 94 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid yellow, the aromas show ripe peachy fruit with some fragrant lift. The palate is chalky on entry with an oatmeal underbelly giving a creamy richness offset by a juicy acidity. Plenty going on, the wine is intense with a lovely poise and refinement, with integrated oak nuances to deliver a high-quality Chardonnay expression. Impressive length. Svelte.

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• 2015 Crystallum Chardonnay Clay Shales 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

  (Tasted Blind) Mid yellow. Rather shy at first the wine opened up to toasty spicy notes with Bartlett pear, and yellow cling peach. The wine entered with ripeness, a touch of mineral to quarry dust, yet the fruits seemed confected and a little sweet whilst the staves were quiter dry and planky and seemed unintegrated at present. Quite spicy, the wine needs time to knit.

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• 1993 Thelema Chardonnay Reserve 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) A deep golden-yellow, the bouquet is very tertiary with a light minty humbug edge and some vegetal components. Interesting, there still lurks a stick of butter balanced by a fabulous incisive acidity and dynamic, and finishes long with some cut slightly bruised apples that came across as eminently enjoyable: Showing well for a 1993!

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• 1993 De Wetshof Chardonnay Finesse 92 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid yellow - impressive colour for such an old wine. A lovely, vibrant wine with oatmeal creaminess dotted with Gala apple, lemon and a touch of butter, but clearly no oak nuances. Bright and breezy, it has a sweet fruit mid-palate, perhaps a little one-dimensional, but amazing for a 1993. Hard to score.

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• 1997 Thelema Chardonnay 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Deep old gold colour with noted tertiary aspects, honey, macerated peach and light spices. The opening is more minerals than expected, with a ripe stone fruit profile complexed with creamed honey, making for a fuller-bodied style. A little sweet again on the mid-palate but keeping its head up and showing pretty well as a classic old school Chardonnay. Ripeness and power.

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• 2004 De Wetshof Chardonnay Bon Vallon 89 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid yellow. Surprising youth after a touch of pong and crayon blow off - possibly reductive when young. Vanilla, spice, minerals and apple on the nose as the entry is oatmeal in texture with a lively acidity, quite chalky but less palate depth, tapering off to a reasonable finish. Not that complex with some apple skins on the close.

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• 2005 Springfield Estate Chardonnay Wild Yeast 87 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Deep golden colour with lactic notes of yoghurt and butter with a light struck match element. Fairly nutty and butter-coated on entry the wine has a pleasant acid spine that gives some frame, whilst the fruits are citrus -orientated with some peach flesh adding some interest. Quite broad and not that defined, feeling a little loose on the finish as it closes early.

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• 2005 Neil Ellis Chardonnay Stellenbosch 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Deep yellow colour with both caramel and some confected fruit hinting at a wine maturing. However, there is an intriguing tidal pool aroma and on entry a fresh and vibrant acidity with those minerals and saline qualities, but the caramel is a little distracting, taking away some advantage. However, the wine is bright, with orchard fruits joining the cause as it exits long and holds complexity.

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• 2005 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 88 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay

  (Tasted Blind) Deep Gold with struck match and minerals on the first nose, giving way to crushed nuts, honey, and lightly buttered popcorn. Clearly showing some age, the wine lacks some acidity, giving a flabbiness to the mid-palate yet holds peachy, nectarine notes with mango and tropical fruit lightly dusted with spice. All tapering off relatively quickly with a nutty quality—waning slightly.

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• 2006 Springfield Estate Chardonnay Wild Yeast 85 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  (Tasted Blind) Mid gold. The bouquet is rather lactic with caramel, melted toffee, butter and yoghurt. Whilst the palate has a light mineral note, the mid-palate is quite sweet with caramel and honey and light coffee grinds. Less exciting with little fruit remaining.

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