2022 Oldenburg Chardonnay

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2022 Oldenburg Chardonnay

Resounding proof that you don’t need to shell out a fortune on Burgundy. A beautiful wine that will continue to age spectacularly over the next 8 – 12 years.

Tasting Notes 

Nose

Opulent nose with vibrant tropical and floral notes. Aromas of loquat, nectarines, apricots, white peaches and a slight touch of lime invite you to take a sip. As it opens up subtle whiffs of toasted almonds and vanilla come through.

Palate

Fruit forward entry with notes of white peach, apricot and lime shining through. Mid-palate has a creamy rich density to it, with a lovely rich buttery texture.

Finish

A lovely refreshing acidity balances out the richness. Lingering aromas of honeycomb, almonds and lemon zest delightfully tickle the palate.

Oldenburg Chardonnay 2022

Winery

At Oldenburg Vineyards we believe that great wines can only come from the best quality grapes. Our intervention in the vineyards is minimal to reflect the full potential of our mountain terroir.

The Oldenburg Vineyards Series is a true expression of terroir through their range of single-cultivar wines. The major geographical features that create their unique climate are known as The 8 Elements: Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, mountain ranges, mountain amphitheatre, cool winds, elevation, soils and Rondekop. The farm is surrounded by an imposing mountain amphitheatre, with their vineyards arranged like puzzle pieces around Rondekop – their iconic and perfectly round hill. The elevated position in the mountains gives a unique and refreshing coolness. The soils which are predominantly weathered granites and Table Mountain sandstones are over 600 million years old. They are perfect for water retention and their rockiness allows for deep root penetration.
The eight elements are depicted on the intricate Oldenburg Vineyards Series label design. Wines are made in an uncompromising manner, intending to showcase the finest characteristics of each cultivar.

Vinification

Grapes for the Chardonnay 2022 were harvested 14 to 22 February 2022 at 22.6° Balling, hand-picked in the cool hours of the morning from cool climate vineyards. Bunches were sorted by hand and whole-bunch pressed in a pneumatic press on a gentle Champagne cycle. The juice was settled overnight and then racked to 228-litre French oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation. The wild yeast fermentation took 2 months to complete. Partial malolactic conversion was done on some of the batches. The wine was matured for 11 months in barrel, gently fined and filtered before bottling.

Vintage Conditions

Stellenbosch, in general, played host to a perfect winter, with steady cold units being accumulated through to the end of August with even rainfall throughout the winter. The good winter cold led to a particularly even bud break. Spring was cool and dry, which favoured the flowering and fruit set for the vintage. Good summer rainfall meant the vigour needed to be kept in check. Despite a relatively hot and dry ripening period, temperatures were kept moderate due to our higher altitude and ultimately led to an exceptionally good harvest with great sugar accumulation.

Accolades

‘A recent bottle of Chardonnay 2022, however, suggested that winemaker Nic van Aarde, who joined in November 2018 having previously worked at Warwick, is settling in just fine. Matured for 11 months in 228-litre barrels of which 29% were new, the nose shows struck-match, citrus, peach, vanilla and spice while the palate has succulent, sweet fruit offset by fresh acidity before a dry finish (alc: 13.56%).’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 92/100

    Specifications

    Year 2022
    Bottle Size 750ml
    Cultivar 100% Chardonnaylanc
    Country South Africa
    Alcohol content
    13.5% alc vol 
    Units of Alcohol per Bottle 10.8 units
    Food matching Seared trout & oven-roasted baby potatoes, salted with butter and rosemary.
    Cellaring Potential A beautiful wine that can be enjoyed now or will continue to age spectacularly over the next 8 – 12 years.
    Type White Wine
    Allergen Information Contains sulphites
    Origin Stellenbosch
    Appellation WO Western Cape