Easily the most overlooked and under appreciated Chardonnay region in South Africa is Stellenbosch. There are pockets in the region that can achieve the great heights of the best sites in Hemel-en-Aarde. The Polkadraai Hills see the brisk False Bay air cool down the sunshine-rich Stellenbosch. The 2023 vintage is entirely made up of Polkadraai fruit from a block of the Boschkloof estate that is WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trading Association) certified. The wine is made in a lightly oaked style with a mineral feel from the granite soils.
The fruit was handpicked into small picking bins. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed primarily to used 500L French barriques and stainless steel tanks. After fermentation using a mix of spontaneous and cultured yeast, all of the batches were transferred to old oak barrels for 10 months of aging. Each barrel received weekly battonage for two months and then the wine was left on the lees for ten more months prior to being racked to tank and bottled with a gentle fining, filtration, and small sulfur addition.