Estate reserve chardonnay 2021 (Glenelly)

Drink now or cellar for up to 8 years. Serve chilled. French winemaker May de Lencquesaing was the owner of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux for some 30 years before purchasing this stunning property in South Africa’s Stellenbosch region. Despite being 78 years old in 2003 when she bought the 123-hectare property, she quickly transformed it into a thriving winery producing excellent and affordable wines that combine Old World elegance with New World verve. This stunning Chardonnay is made in a classic "Grand Vin" style as the estate’s premier white wine. Fruit is exclusively sourced and harvested by hand from prized vineyards planted in 2007 in Simonsberg. Then once in the winery the grapes are pressed as whole bunches and fermented and matured in new and used 500 litre barrels for 10 months on the lees. Complex layers of baked apple, candied citrus, and toasted nuts mingle on the nose, while the first sip reveals a smooth texture, medium body, and long finish with hints of cinnamon, vanilla and fresh pastries and a bright streak of acidity. The fine balance of this elegant white makes it a great choice for salads, seafood or fish dishes as well as roast chicken and mature cheeses.