Fresh and crisp with bright citrus, ripe pear, and subtle baking spice. Lightly oaked for a smooth, creamy texture without overpowering buttery notes. Clean and balanced, it’s a refreshing Chardonnay with a nice mineral finish—perfect now or cellar for a few years.

Tim Atkin | TA 92
South Africa 2021 Special Report

Made in cellar space donated by Alex Dale after her own "red shed" burnt down in tragic circumstances, Sam O'Keefe's Chardonnay uses fruit from four different cooler climate sources. Pure and lightly wooded, it has crisp acidity, some leesy weight and flavours of citrus and banana bread.

The Wine Advocate | RP 90
Published: Jun 9, 2022
Drink: 2022-2030

A crowdpleaser, the 2020 Chardonnay offers up notions of ripe yellow apple, Bosc pear, lemon pastry cream and elegant baking spices on the nose. Medium-bodied, the palate is fresh, ripe and balanced, led by fresh oak nuances and concluding with a flashy, succulent finish. It's delicious, clean and correct.

Lismore.co.za

This very special Chardonnay was made in the style of a traditional Burgundian Chablis. It shows intense citrus and soft fruit layered with brioche, honey and walnut carried by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity with a lingering citrus finish.

Winemakers' Notes
The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and whole bunch pressed, slowly extracting the juice at a rate of 600ltrs per ton. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours and was racked into 225, 300 and 500 litre older burgundian barrels for fermentation and 11 months of maturation. 5% new French oak was used in this vintage.

Wine Making Aesthetic
Balance is the key to this wine.

The oaking represents a viewpoint that the fruit/acid/pH must drive a wine's flavour and not the over-emphasis on highly extracted buttery notes derived from new barrels and 100% Malolactic conversion. That being said the barrel aging gives this wine its luxurious texture. Having only undergone partial MLF (20%), the wine retains its original fruitiness and fresh acidity. These elements combined allow for years of storage and maturation.