DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2018

Golden with green hues. Hot toasted brioche with zesty marmalade. Backbone of lime and lemongrass with floral notes of honeysuckle and frangipani on the palate. Warm, rich vanilla and a creamy almond finish.

Vertical shoot positioned vineyards on weathered granite mid-slopes benefit form cool morning sunlight and moderating sea breezes off False Bay. Yields are typically low to moderate and grapes are very concentrated with good levels of natural acidity.

2018 was dry vintage in the Cape. Thunderstorms in early spring added a lot of Nitrogen to the soils resulting in very healthy canopies entering the growing season. The daytime temperatures during the ripening period were cooler than what was experienced in the very hot 2016 and 2017 vintages, with relatively cool evenings. Conditions were very dry though, with vine stress management being key to success. Fruit harvesting tended to be very early in 2018, with a focus on bringing fruit into the winery with lower sugar levels and lower pH levels.

The grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. Juice was transferred to French oak barrels with minimal settling. Fermentation occurred naturally in French oak barrels of which 30% was new. About 70% of the volume completed Malolatic fermentation during a 10-month ageing on the gross lees. The wine was bottled with minimal stabilization and clarified without filtration.