Chardonnay, Ridge, Hemel en Aarde, 2022
Floral and citrusy with a tangerine and fresh peach finish. Silky and polished but moreish too. The whites are pressed quite hard to add a little grip to the wine, ensuring they are not too sweet and easy. A delicious, low alcohol Chardonnay that delivers from the off. Ridge Chardonnay comes from a high-density vineyard on a cool, eastern slope on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge with low-vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soil. Ageing took place 25% new French barrique over 11 months. Since 2022, all wines are closed with DIAM corks.
critic reviews
The 2022 Chardonnay Ridge was picked three weeks later than the Vrede Chardonnay as it is a cooler vineyard site. It undergoes 5 hours of skin contact and is raised 10% in clay amphora, the rest in French barrels, 32% new. The seductive bouquet of white chocolate and chai tea infuses the dried honey and almond aromas. The oak is neatly integrated here. The well-balanced palate has a fine bead of acidity, more linear than the Vrede, tensile with good extract on the waxy-textured finish.