Chardonnay, Vrede, Hemel en Aarde, 2023
Stylish and smooth in texture, offering full white fruits and touches of peach cream and stones, Vrede was picked early, before the rains and aged for a year in barrique, roughly a third new. Vrede Chardonnay – or Peace Chardonnay – hails from a northeast-facing slope in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley with low-vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soil.
critic reviews
The 2023 Chardonnay Vrede is raised in 32% new oak, with the wine going 75% through malo. This has a fragrant bouquet with orange blossom, citrus fruit and light stony scents. Very good definition and focus. The palate is very well balanced and side-by-side this has more nervosité and mineralité. Precise and focused on the finish with plenty of sapidity, this is an excellent Chardonnay from Hannes Storm.
The Storm 2023 Hemel-En-Aarde Valley Chardonnay Vrede comes from a site a mere 1.3 kilometers from the cool Atlantic Ocean. "This is a big wine in a small package," says winemaker and proprietor Hannes Storm. It reveals tight phenolic grip and a richer style with citrus marmalade and yellow orchard fruits. You practically taste salt crystals on thickened grape skins. It offers terrific length thanks to that extra structure, finishes dry and closes with flinty mineral sensations. The 2023 vintage was rainy. Hannes Storm harvested on a Friday, and a heavy storm the next day dropped five inches of rain, causing flooding and visible erosion in the surrounding mountains.