Chardonnay Colloquium 2019

A Tasting of the 2017 vintage of many of the Elgin Chardonnays. This was Session 1 of 2

• 2015 Boschendal Chardonnay Appellation Series Elgin 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Restrained fruit, oak spice and oat flakes on the nose with a touch of jasmine and citrus fruits. Entry was rich and creamy with expressive fruits that got better as the wine unfolded. A good core of fruit featuring a citrus focus: lemon zest, grapefruit and some satsuma - also an insense stick lift in the mid palate. There was a slight cottage cheese note too, almost lactic, that slightly bothered. But all in all there was plenty of bright acidity and light oak spices to keep the wine interesting.

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• 1997 Neil Ellis Chardonnay Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Deep gold and showing distinct developed aromas - Brandy snaps, candied orange, spun sugar, caramel.
  The palate was similar with mint humbugs, cream soda, terpene notes and after-dinner mints. Clearly seen better days but fun to taste at 22 years old!

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• 2016 Almenkerk Chardonnay 86 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Bright yellow colour. Some reduction, then showing a touch of curry leaves, light citrus and pretty putty. Some lantana leaf.
  The entry is strident and refreshing with acidity, some phenolic texture that grips the mid-palate, attractive savoury edge with a touch of earth. Finishes medium but a slight tapering and falls away.

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• 2017 Almenkerk Chardonnay 88 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) A mid lemon colour with savoury tones that emphasise oak influence with some damp wood, nut, butter and spice accented by peach, oatmeal, apple and a squeeze of lemon. A more linear wine on entry, restrained with delicate yellow fruit flesh coating the palate, whilst a creamy oatmeal adds texture, all supported by fresh acidity. There is attractive breadth and fluidity, though older oak begins to assert itself, lending a drying sensation on the back palate, truncating the finish.
  BF with extended lees contact.

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• 2017 Paul Wallace Chardonnay Reflection 87 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Initially, there is an impression of balsa wood, cheese rind and wood glue/resin that gives a chemical note but blows off with air, revealing spicy oak, bay leaf, nut, peach and dried apricot. The wine carries a clear richness through the mid-palate, impregnated with exotic fruit that gives width. Acidity is fresh and supportive, and the finish is dry and lightly savoury, with curry leaf notes. Short lengthwise, but nicely composed.
  Second vintage of Reflection. 50% MLc; 20% new oak.

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• 2017 Oak Valley Chardonnay Groenlandberg 94 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow with delicate aromas of wood spice, oatmeal, and orchard fruit, dusted with lemon zest and sea salt. The palate is linear and focused, with some richness in the middle. Juicy citrus (grapefruit and lemon) fruit and crunchy apple, underpinned by a saline line of zingy acidity that adds freshness and fluidity to this smartly crafted wine. Well-balanced, the oak is nicely integrated with crushed oatmeal, adding creaminess. Tense with a mineral drive that lingers long on the finish. Excellent!

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• 2017 Lothian Chardonnay Vineyard Selection 88 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) A riper fruit-forward nose with stewed peaches, tangerine, baked apple, orange, peach yoghurt and nectarine slices with an infusion of oatmeal and a dribble of honey. The palate is rich and bold, with concentration, but shows a more obvious fruity register than some of its Elgin peers. Medium to full-bodied, there is a core of sweet fruit and some generosity tempered by a crisp acidic flourish. A substantial wine, it lingers a while and closes with some almond flakes on what seems like some bruised apple.

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• 2017 Highlands Road Chardonnay 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow with a faint struck-match nuance hinting at reductive handling before opening to toast, ripe peach and nectarine slices with a blob of creme fraiche. However, with air, the profile shifts to a more oaky infusion showing fresh staves and workshop wood. Full-bodied with a rich and creamy texture filled with stone fruits. Bold with a vivacious acidity to tighten up the mid-palate, giving length, freshness and energy. Lovely fruit definition; the finish is mineral-edged despite drying slightly under the weight of oak and extract.

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• 2017 Paul Cluver Chardonnay 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) High-toned, delicate aromas of white pepper, Pink Lady apple, tangerine, grapefruit, and fresh peach at first, before settling into gentle toasty oak, vanilla pod, desiccated coconut, and clove. With more air, the fruit expression becomes clearer. A clean entry with juicy, ripe fruit, intensity with a lovely oak infusion, and a creamy underbelly. A light to mid-bodied wine, this has plenty of flesh to deliver bolder fruit and a sweeter-toned mid-palate. Still, it has a few structural “bones”, giving an easygoing impression. Very friendly with some decent length.
  Vines age is 10–30 years. Fermented and matured for around 9–10 months in lightly toasted 300-litre Burgundy barrels, with partial MLC.

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• 2017 Neil Ellis Chardonnay Whitehall Flawed

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Lightly floral with citrus blossom, white peach, tangerine, earthy and some woody undertones. At first glance, all is in order. However, the palate lacks depth, the finish turns sweeter, and the overall shape feels a little hollow. As it opens, the wine begins to mute the components and feels consistent with a corked bottle (not tainted).

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• 2017 Neil Ellis Chardonnay Whitehall 92 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Second bottle: Immediately more expressive with struck-match reduction, flinty SO₂ notes are joined by cooked citrus, orange peel, and grapefruit, alongside a faint baby-powder note. The palate is rich and assured, with mineral-driven acidity and lovely intensity and freshness, balanced by an underlying richness. Focus and drive with a sense of tension absent in the first bottle, it finishes long with a saline-tinged close.

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• 2017 Thelema Chardonnay Sutherland Mountain Vineyards 86 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  (Tasted Blind) Immediately marked by struck match reduction that tips into rubbery, bicycle-tyre and latex glove territory. Some wet flint and fresh apple do emerge, even a smattering of toast crumbs, but the reduction feels clearly intentional. The palate stays on this savoury line, with subdued primary fruit, a linear shape, and citrus pith, green melon and apple held by a fine, taut line of acidity. And whilst the fruit peeks through the struck-match character ultimately overtakes the wine, suppressing fruit expression and leaving it feeling monodimensional. Still, there is a precision I liked, and the finish is relatively long.

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• 2017 Iona Monopole Chardonnay 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow in colour. A little reticent at first, a gentle floral lift of Cape jasmine and aromas of ripe orange and green apple slowly coax out of the glass, along with a light toasty and oatmeal note. The palate is bright and fruit-driven, with gorgeous intensity, fresh drying acidity, and some peholic grip in the mid-palate. With air, the wine improves noticeably: oak-derived stone-fruit notes emerge, the palate freshens, and peachy fruit becomes cleaner and purer. A light yet assured wine, it finishes long with a saline twist.
  WBP; The wine is matured for 11 months in predominantly older oak (approximately 18% new).

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• 2017 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay Clonal Selection Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Evocative aromas of mineral, oatmeal and light toasty oak, punctuated by spiced clementine, along with subtler notes of sea spray, smokiness and peat notes.
  Intense upon entry, the wine shows a certain restraint, delivering plenty of flavour and detail, with its vibrant acidity seemingly seated within the wine rather than sitting on top. Nuanced oak and a creamy mid-palate hinting at partial malolactic fermentation, giving a Côte de Beaune-like impression in its balance and proportion, and the wine carries real length. There is a slight, mineral-dry edge to the finish. Still, it feels more structural than distracting, reinforcing the sense of precision and intent.
  Score: 17.5/20
  No score as conflict of interest. Note written by a colleague.

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• 2017 Boschendal Chardonnay Appellation Series Elgin 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Again, some struck match reduction, but the wine carries it off better, allowing more fruit to shine through: white flowers, Gala apples and lemon sit alongside some oatmeal, spicy oak notes. The palate has an underlying richness and generous fruit, supported by a racy line of acidity. A reductive edge remains evident, at times reading as fresh rubber. Still, it gives the wine tension and drive rather than bluntness. Elegant and precise with some intensity, the finish is a touch short.
  13.5% ABV:

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