De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay 2021

Drink it now or hold it for up to 5 years. No need to decant.

The De Grendel winery was founded in 1720 and it is still owned by the Graaff family. If Graaff is a household name in Cape Town, so is Charles Hopkins, De Grendel's cellarman. Ed Elzette du Preez is the passionate winemaker who puts her energy into maintaining De Grendel's successes. The winery is a modern and contemporary building designed by Linda Graaff, Sir David's cousin. The idea behind it was to fit in as close to nature as possible with the help of natural stone, stone walls and Feng Shui.

The Chardonnay grapes come from a vineyard located at 960 meters above sea level on the top of Mount Witzenberg in Ceres, on soft clay soils. The manual harvest takes place at dawn to maintain the freshness of the grapes. 40% of the must ferments in stainless steel tanks. The remaining 60% ferments in French wooden barrels. The wine ages on the lees in wooden barrels for 8 months.

The wine has a clear appearance and bright lemon color. On the nose, there are aromas of coconut, ginger, jam, and cotton candy. On the palate, this wine is subtle and elegant with crisp herbal notes and a well balanced mouthfeel. This barrel-aged Chardonnay is ideally complemented by creamy dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto, or butternut gnocchi. For something out of the ordinary, enjoy this wine with roasted veggies stuffed with goat cheese.