| WINE | Radford Dale | ||||||||
| VARIETAL | Chardonnay | ||||||||
| VINTAGE | 2005 | ||||||||
| APPELLATION | Stellenbosch, South Africa | ||||||||
| ANALYSIS |
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| PRODUCTION | 1100 (12 x 750ml.) cases |
VINEYARDS & HARVEST
3 parcels. The first two, on Ocean-facing, South-easterly & westerly slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. One of the coolest spots in Stellenbosch. The vines, grown in Clovely soil (decomposed granite), are mature and virus free, usually yielding 40 hl / ha and providing wonderful fruit depth. The second, a beautiful vineyard on the Western slope of the Simonsberg Mountain, providing rare flinty & mineral flavours. This was a particularly hot vintage and required informed viticultural proficiency to avoid flabby, high-alcohol chardonnays.
VINIFICATION
The grapes were all hand-picked at dawn into small lug-bins, chilled for 24 hours in our white wine cellar, then hand-fed over a sorting table. Whole bunch pressed, with the free-run juice settled for two days before being gravity-fed into barrel. Alcoholic fermentation entirely carried out in barrel, for 8 – 10 weeks. Cellar maintained very cold at about 10° Celsius (fermentation peaking at about 18 °), then temperature dropped to 7°. Malo inhibited. Battonnage applied weekly during the first two months, then monthly for the following eight. Racked out of barrel after 10 months, assembled, then left to settle for six weeks with a light bentonite fining and no filtration until bottling.
BARRELS
100% French : Alliers & Vosges 228 L barrels. 50% 2nd fill ,30% 3rd fill and 20% new.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
With strong influence of Alex Dale’s upbringing in Burgundy, the making of this Chardonnay is also adapted to our particular conditions in the Cape. Restraining acidity, citrus flavors and gentle oaking the introverted side of its character; ripeness, length and great depth the expansive side. Genuinely mineral, with a crisp lime-citrus edge and an elegant yet intense length on the palate. A Chardonnay daring to be individual, focused on backbone not butter.