Chardonnay

A wine to savour on its own. Great with richer Thia and Indian curries and tuna steaks.

Down to earth with a rich history and winemaking tradition, Blaauwklippen produces wines of distinction in harmony with the simplicity of country living. Shaped by centuries, people are at the heart of Blaauwklippen’s legacy that is shared in abundance with contemporary design and artisanal flair. In 1977 the first Zinfandel vineyards to be planted in South Africa were established on Blaauwklippen with the first vintage released in 1980. This pioneering spirit led us to produce world-class Zinfandel for decades and today we remain one of only three Zinfandel producers in the country. Launched in 1984, the Blaauwklippen Blending Competition is the only one of its kind in South Africa, aimed at consumers rather than producers, inviting wine-lovers to try out the art of wine blending for themselves. Narina Cloete has been the winemaker at Blaauwklippen since June 2016. She graduated with an Honours BSc Agriculture (Oenology) cum laude from the University of Stellenbosch. She serves on various wine judging panels including the South African Young Wine Show, FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc, Cape Vintners Classification, Blaauwklippen Blending Competition, Veritas Awards and the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. She also judged in Spain at the 2018 Zarcillo International Wine Competition. The Blaauwklippen Family Market, held every Sunday, is a popular Winelands destination with an array of food, arts and crafts, live music, a monthly antiques fair and the estate’s child-friendly facilities and activities.

The grapes originated from vineyards in the Stellenbosch Polkadraai hills area with decomposed granite soils. The vineyards have the Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) trellis system and drip irrigation. The grapes were harvested on 1 and 2 February 2023.

During the in-barrel maturation period of 11 months battonage was done every fortnight. Thirty percent new oak was incorporated. Malo-lactic fermentation was inhibited.

The hand harvested grapes were transported to the cellar. Upon arrival, they were loaded whole bunch into the press. A whole bunch pressing cycle ensured the extraction of only the best quality juice. The juice settled for 24hours and was then rack to 228L French oak barrels for barrel fermentation. Fermentation finished after approximately 10 days. Battonage was done every 2nd day after fermentation and before maturation.