Glenelly Estate - Chardonnay Reserve 2022

Glenelly Estate owes its success to the rich history of the estate, dating back to 1682 when Simon van der Stel ceded the land to a French Huguenot, Francois Villion. This, combined with May de Lencquesaing’s family legacy of centuries in the wine industry, has made Glenelly a wine estate of note.

In 2003, at the age of 78, May de Lencquesaing, then owner of the famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, Bordeaux, purchased the estate, part of the original Ida’s Valley farm, granted in 1682 by Simon van der Stel. With a nod to the French Huguenot settlers 300 years before, she set about planting vines to replace the existing fruit trees, realising her vision of establishing a thriving winery that best utilises the soils and microclimate of the valley and supports local economic development and the community. Thus, Glenelly Estate was reborn.

The grapes were whole bunch pressed and settled without enzymes. The juice was transferred to 500L French oak barrels and a 5,100L Foudre, where fermentation occurred naturally. The wine was left in barrel, on its lees, for 11 months prior to racking, blending, and bottling. In total, 20% new oak was used in the final blend and due to the lower natural acidity of this vintage, only 18% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation.

The Estate Reserve Chardonnay displays a wonderful bright crisp color, with vibrant citrus, lime zest and hints of butterscotch on the nose. The palate is lush and the creamy texture is underpinned with beautiful mineral notes of toasted almond and vanilla. The finish is fresh with great minerality and with a nervous energy about it.

"The 2022 Estate Reserve Chardonnay is clean and expressive, offering a fresh, citrus-forward profile. It blends herbal and floral notes with a well-integrated oak influence, driven by fresh acidity and hints of underripe pineapple. Light to medium-bodied with 12.5% alcohol, this Chardonnay features flavors of brioche, apples and a leesy complexity, finishing with a lingering note of snow pea. The Chardonnay matured for 11 months in 20% new oak, on lees, with 18% of the wine going through malolactic fermentation. It was then bottled and aged for an additional 12 months. A total of 47,585 bottles were produced." - 90 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Producer: Glenelly Estate

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Varietal: Chardonnay

Appellation: Stellenbosch

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml