White Wine Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2020. This elegant Chardonnay is made by one of Stellenbosch’s top winemaking families, the Jordans, who have been working this three-hundred year old estate since 1982 when it was purchased by Ted and Sheelagh. The couple’s son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Cathy, took over the running of the winery in 1993 after spending several years working internationally to learn the winemaking trade. Their Barrel Fermented Chardonnay is made in a style that honours both Burgundian winemaking heritage and the unique characteristics of the Jordan estate. The winery is set in the ravine of Stellenbosch Kloof which benefits from cooling breezes and mists from nearby False Bay. The Chardonnay grapes used for this bottling are sourced from the cooler east and south-facing slopes where conditions help to preserve freshness and a delicate aromatic character in the finished wine. To enhance the natural beauty of their Chardonnay grapes, the Jordans ferment the must in oak barrels and then mature the wine on the lees in the barrel for 9 months. This helps to create a rich and creamy Chardonnay where fresh lemon, grapefruit and tropical notes mingle harmoniously with hints of butter, pastries, and sweet almonds. The well-rounded texture and intense character of this wine make it an ideal match for richer dishes like risottos or chicken in a creamy sauce.
2020
White Wine Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2020
White Wine Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay 2020. Founded in 1982 by Jess Jackson, Kendall-Jackson winery was the starting point for the Jackson Family Wines company, which has become hugely influential, both at home and abroad. Despite the enormous success, Kendall-Jackson winery has remained true to its roots. It is still led by Winemaster” Randy Ullom and continues to produce the trademark Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, as pioneered by Jess Jackson in 1983. Vintner’s Reserve is still America’s best-selling Chardonnay, 30 years after its first appearance on the market. Nowadays it is a symbol of California as a whole, crafted with grapes sourced from choice vineyards all across the state. Exhibiting an open bouquet of yellow apple, tropical fruit and lemon zest with hints of butter and honey, this wine is the quintessential Californian Chardonnay. It has a creamy texture in the mouth, with a pleasant acidic bite. Each vineyard brings a different element to the blend. The Santa Barbara grapes impart notes of tropical fruit, while Monterey County provides a citrus backbone. Mendocino brings a hint of green apple skin, and Sonoma offers luscious pear. All sourced from cool, coastal vineyards, the combined fruits make for a real treat of a wine. Best served slightly below room temperature, accompanied by white meats or fish.
2020
White Wine Knoll Riesling Smaragd 2020. The Knoll family are something of a household name in Austria thanks to their delicious white wines bottled under the iconic Saint Urban label. The family started bottling their own wines in the 1950s and have helped put Wachau on the map for exceptional white wines. Today the estate is run by Emmerich II and Monika Knoll and their son Emmerich II who have a total of 15 hectares of vines and are based in the picturesque village of Unterloiben. This excellent example of prime Austrian Riesling begins life in the Knolls’ Loibenberg vineyard in Unterloiben. Set on a steep terrace with stony soils at an altitude of 260 to 400 metres above sea level, this plot is one of the estate’s warmest vineyards and typically produces opulent, well-rounded dry Rieslings. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand and vinified in large oak casks with a lengthy maturation period before bottling. On the nose there are plenty of aromatics including hints of honeysuckle, almond blossom and ripe peach while the first sip reveals a medium body, vibrant freshness and stone fruit, citrus and red apple flavours which linger long on the tongue. This complex, multi-layered wine can be cellared for another decade or so, but also makes a delicious aperitif or partner for seafood and spicy Asian dishes for those who prefer to enjoy it now.
2020