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Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY96
Richard Kershaw Wines
South Africa - Western Cape - Cape South Coast - Elgin

The inspiration for this Deconstructed Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region boasts credentials that make it world-class. To bolster these regional credentials, I have set out to prove that Elgin has both signature grapes and specific ‘terroirs’ (meso-climates) that reflect intra-regional distinctions. To fully comprehend this, it is necessary to dig deeper into the DNA that makes up our region. To elucidate this, I have decided to make these 3 Chardonnay wines that have each been selected from a specific vineyard and an individual clone. Importantly, this is an ongoing story that will unfold over the coming years.

Tasting notes : Chamomile yellow with enchanting perfume showing lucerne, lemon leaves, jasmine and a touch of honeysuckle. Medium bodied, texturally pithy and saline with a mineral-edge acidity, the mid-palate opens to lime peel, lemon grass, green melon pieces with dried ginger and apple strudel. The flavors penetrate this broader structured wine that is itself lifted with an aromatic infusion. The back palate returns with a pastiche of citrus fruits, lemon meringue pie and desiccated almonds that extend into an elongated finish

Specifications
Appellation
Cape South Coast - Elgin
Wine Type
White
Varietal(s)
100% Chardonnay
Age of vines
Average 20 years
Agricultural Practices
Sustainable
Soil type
Bokkeveld Shale
Vinification
Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel 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 four months before judicious sulfuring and a further seven months’ maturation in barrel before racking, blending and bottling. 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. In 2021, 100% was new oak; 100% using 228 litre barrels.
Production
70 (9-liter cases)
Pairings

Creamy garlic parmesan chicken breasts.

Producer Information: Richard Kershaw Wines

Richard Kershaw wines was founded in 2012, by Master of Wine Richard Kershaw. Richard’s mission is to focus on noble grapes and create clonally selected, site-specific, cool climate wines in ...
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