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Lelie van Saron

2022

Chardonnay

Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley - South Africa
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

Now in its sixth vintage, this wine is definitely becoming a standard for minimally handled Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay. The Debos Vineyard is just on the north side of the dam for which it is named at the base of the Babylonstoren Mountains. It’s located just 3 miles from the Atlantic ocean, and the vines are dry-farmed, guyot-trellised, and planted in a high-density fashion with 6,667 vines per hectare. Known for its granite soils, the one-hectare Debos Vineyard yields about 5.5 tons/hectare. The resulting wines are aromatic and elegant, with pure fruit expression.

The grapes were handpicked and then hand sorted at the winery prior to being whole-bunch pressed with an overnight settling to get the chunky stuff naturally filtered out. The following morning the wine was racked and spontaneous fermentation commenced within two days at the ambient cellar temperature in a mixture of concrete tanks and older French 225 & 300L oak barrels. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation were completed gradually over two months with no battonage. It was then fined, coarsely filtered, and bottled with a small dosage of sulfur.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
  • Vineyard: DeBos Vineyard
  • Vine Age: 13-years-old
  • Soil Type: Cartref: a mixture of granite, sandstone and quartz
  • Viticulture: Sustainable - dry-farmed and no herbicides or pesticides
  • Fermentation: Native – whole-bunch pressed to 50% concrete tank and 50% neutral 225L & 300L French barrels
  • Skin Contact: None
  • Aging: 12 months in fermentation vessels (adding 5-10% new oak)
  • Alcohol: 12.96%
  • pH: 3.5
  • Total Acidity: 5.7 g/L
  • Total SO2: 73 ppm
  • Total Production: 392 cases
  • UPC: 6009820030451

Tasting Note

The nose shows pithy citrus fruits with limestone minerality and subtle hints of vanilla. The palate displays excellent varietal purity with a linear, mineral structure balanced by ripe mandarin, peach and stone fruit. A long finish with lingering acidity.

Press & Reviews

Tim Atkin MW

91

"Natasha Williams' stylish Chardonnay uses a mixture of oak and concrete eggs for fermentation and ageing. Notes of toast and vanilla cream segue into a palate of orange peel and lemongrass with some texture from 50% malolactic. 2023-26"

- Tim Atkin MW

Vinous

91

"The 2022 Chardonnay Lelie van Saron comes from a single vineyard in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde. It is whole bunch pressed and worked oxidatively, fermented partly in concrete tank plus used oak barrels, and kept on the lees for 11 months with no SO2 addition. The understated nose gradually unfurls with dried honey, sea spray, and hints of orange pith. The well-balanced palate has fine acidity, taut and fresh, and good tension with a tightly coiled, saline finish, suggesting it will age well in bottle. Excellent winemaking on display here."

- Neil Martin
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Producer


Lelie van Saron

Region


Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Country


South Africa

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