Overgaauw Chardonnay 2015 Tasting Notes

Winemaker’s comments: This beautifully lime-tinged pale gold coloured wine offers a mélange of citrus, crisp pineapple and honeysuckle aromas with a touch of fresh biscuit that follows through onto a complementing, mouth-filling palate. The citrus and pineapple prolong their elegant journey on the aftertaste and continue to persist pleasantly on the finish.

Overgaauw’s wood philosophy comes to perfect fruition in this wine; even though it is 100% wood fermented in French barriques followed by a lengthy period of lees contact, the wood has integrated seamlessly with the fruit still placed centre stage. With its silky texture and delicious crisp drinkability, this wine has the potential to age for another 2-5 years. It will be well worth your patience.

Food suggestions: Creamy butternut soup, Honey and ginger chicken, Fish steak with parmesan and assorted squash, Seared tuna steaks with creamy avocado sauce, Smoked salmon summer salad.

Viticulture:

• Vineyard Location: Stellenbosch Kloof 185m above sea level, S- facing, 15km from False Bay.
• Moderate Climate: Winter ave temp: 13ºC (min 7ºC, max 17ºC), Summer ave temp: 21.5ºC (min 20.5º, max 30.5ºC)
• Soil Type: Deep Hutton and Clovelly (decomposed Granite)
• Age of vines: 17 years
• Trellising: 4-wire hedge system with moveable wires
• Pruning: Cordon system with 2 bud spurs, ensuring low yield
• Harvest date: February 2014, the harvesting date is determined by David’s continuous tasting of the grapes.
• Yield per hectare: 6 tons
• Sugar content at harvest: 23ºB

Viniculture:

• Length of fermentation: 100% for 15 days in French barriques at 18ºC left on the lees 9 months with bâtonnage once a week for the first month after fermentation and once a month thereafter until 2 months prior to bottling.
• Wood maturation: 9 months in 350L, 300L and 225L French oak barrels (20% 1st fill; 40% 2nd and 40% 3rd and 4th fill).
• Alcohol: 12.5% vol
• Total Acid: 5.9 g/l
• pH: 3.6
• Residual sugar: 2.4 g/l