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. While 2021 saw much lower yields (and the addition of some Elgin fruit to make up for it), 2022 was back to normal with all Polkadraai fruit. 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. After fermentation using a mix of spontaneous and cultured yeast, about 20% of the wine was sent to stainless steel to keep some freshness in the final blend. Batches received weekly battonage for two months and then were left on the lees for eight more months prior to being racked to tank and bottled with a gentle fining, filtration, and small sulfur addition.