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Lelie van Saron

2020

Chardonnay

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

About

In its fourth vintage, this wine is definitely becoming a standard for minimally handled Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay for Natasha. The Debos Vineyard is just on the north side of the dam for which it is named at the base of the Babylonstoren Mountains. The small block that makes this wine is a south/southwest facing slope at roughly 550-650 feet in elevation with the vines planted between fields of fynbos and in very close proximity to the sea. Known for its granite soils, the one-hectare Debos Vineyard yields 5.5 tons/hectare on a good year, which 2020 was. 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 300L oak barrels. Primary fermentation took one month to complete with zero additions, and malolactic fermentation was completed during this time as well. The wine sat on lees with no battonage for an additional 14 months prior to being racked and blended to tank. It was then bottled with a rough filtration and aged in bottle for another four months prior to being released.

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% 3-5-year-old 225L & 300L French barrels
  • Skin Contact: None
  • Aging: 14 months in fermentation vessels
  • Alcohol: 13.6%
  • pH: 3.48
  • Total Acidity: 5.7 g/L
  • Total SO2: 98 ppm
  • Total Production: 250 cases
  • UPC: 6009820030451

Tasting Note

The nose shows pithy lemon and lime peel, with limestone minerality and subtle hints of oak. The palate displays excellent varietal purity with a linear, mineral structure balanced by ripe lemon, melon and stone fruit. A long finish with lingering citrus fruit.

Press & Reviews

The WineMag

92

"Lelie van Saron is the own label of Natasha Williams, winemaker at Bosman Family Vineyards. The nose of this wine shows top notes of flowers and herbs before lime and lemon while the palate has good fruit concentration, nicely integrated acidity and savoury finish." - Christian Eedes

Tim Atkin, MW

91

"Natasha Williams' main job is at Bosman, but she also makes an increasingly exciting line-up of wines under her own label. This Chardonnay comes from a single dryland block in the Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and is fresher and more focused than many 2020 whites, partly because it didn't go through malolactic. Taut and saline, with cream, fresh lemon, vanilla and clementine flavours. 2022-26."

- Tim Atkin, MW
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Producer


Lelie van Saron

Region


Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Country


South Africa

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