Kershaw GPS Lower Duivenhoks River Chardonnay 2019

Pale straw in colour. Appealing aromas of yellow peach, fresh bread dough, and baked apple with cinnamon. There is ripeness and intensity to the 2019 GPS Chardonnay with a creaminess of texture and almost mid-palate sweetness that displays pineapple tart, peach melba, orange peel oil, and apricot clafoutis. This mid-palate fleshiness and depth of flavour are kept beautifully in check by the cleansing tension of acidity. An elongated finish unfolds further nuances: unburnt joss sticks, pine needles, slivered almonds, and oat pithiness.

Grapes were hand-picked in the early morning, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 615 litres per ton was obtained using our new Willmes Sigma 5 press. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking, blending and bottling. BARREL SELECTION: A small number of artisanal coopers were selected, all from Burgundy and only French oak was chosen. Importantly, this wine was micro vinified as a separate batch. Over the years we have developed an algorithm to ascertain which coopers work best and how many new and used barrels are utilised. In 2018 43.6% was new oak; 100% using 228 litre barrels.