White Wine Craggy Range Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay 2021. Despite only being founded in 1997, Craggy Range is today regarded as one of New Zealand’s finest boutique wineries. The family-run estate was originally founded by Master of Wine Steve Smith and Australian businessman Terry Peabody who dreamed of making world-class wines in the shadow of the Te Mata mountain in Hawke’s Bay. Unlike many other wineries, they insist on only producing single vineyard wines which capture the unique terroir of that particular plot. Individual parcels are always fermented and aged separately to give Craggy Range’s enologists complete control over the final blend. This stunning Chardonnay is a great example of their dedication to the art of winemaking, crafted with fruit from their cool but sunny Te Awanga vineyard. Once in the winery the fruit is fermented in stainless steel tanks and some oak casks where it’s left to mature for 8 months. This helps add a rich, creamy texture and subtle hints of oak and toast to the ripe tropical and orchard fruit notes. A great gastronomic wine that’s versatile enough to enjoy with Comté cheese, fresh pasta served with a rich truffle sauce, herby roast chicken, or most vegetarian dishes.
2021
White Wine Craggy Range Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
White Wine De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2021. The premium winery De Grendel is located just outside Cape Town on the southern slope of the Tygerberg Hills, only seven kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. The constantly cool winds from the ocean ensure a long ripening phase for the grapes. The stony soils of the Tygerberg Hills give the wines interesting mineral notes. The grapes for De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc have been carefully selected from the Lutzville and Darling regions. The wine is complemented by a small part of Semillon. This gives the wine a particular fruity character. Fermentation lasts from 14 to 22 days. The wine ages in stainless steel tanks for 100 days, after which it is filtered and cold stabilized. The name Koetshuis means coach shed and should be reminiscent of an old cellar building. This straw-colored wine with slightly greenish reflections has fresh and invigorating aromas. The nose offers notes of melon, lime, passion fruit, pineapple and pear. On the palate, it shows incredible complexity with rich creaminess. The wine is well balanced with a pleasant mineral finish. Its surprising complexity makes it the ideal accompaniment to veal or squid.
2021
White Wine De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay 2021. No need to decant. The De Grendel winery was founded in 1720 and it is still owned by the Graaff family. If Graaff is a household name in Cape Town, so is Charles Hopkins, De Grendel’s cellarman. Ed Elzette du Preez is the passionate winemaker who puts her energy into maintaining De Grendel’s successes. The winery is a modern and contemporary building designed by Linda Graaff, Sir David’s cousin. The idea behind it was to fit in as close to nature as possible with the help of natural stone, stone walls and Feng Shui. The Chardonnay grapes come from a vineyard located at 960 meters above sea level on the top of Mount Witzenberg in Ceres, on soft clay soils. The manual harvest takes place at dawn to maintain the freshness of the grapes. 40% of the must ferments in stainless steel tanks. The remaining 60% ferments in French wooden barrels. The wine ages on the lees in wooden barrels for 8 months. The wine has a clear appearance and bright lemon color. On the nose, there are aromas of coconut, ginger, jam, and cotton candy. On the palate, this wine is subtle and elegant with crisp herbal notes and a well balanced mouthfeel. This barrel-aged Chardonnay is ideally complemented by creamy dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto, or butternut gnocchi. For something out of the ordinary, enjoy this wine with roasted veggies stuffed with goat cheese.
2021