Morestond Chardonnay

Enjoy with a beautiful slow-braised pork belly with Thai spice or a west coast cod over the coals with a fresh lemon-butter sauce.

The valley in which Doolhof lies is blessed with unique and varied terroirs. The microclimates, growing conditions and soil types make it ideal for growing wine grapes. The Estate lies between Bain’s Kloof and the Groenberg Mountain Range. The result is soils that are finer, more balanced and deeper than in the surrounding countryside with clay content evenly distributed. A combination of Malmesbury shale, homogenic Glenrosa and Clovelly soils ensure that the roots are able to descend to four metres or beyond. Roughly 40 of the farm’s 380 hectares are planted to vine. Soils, growing conditions and microclimates vary considerably across this large expanse (which reaches up into Bain’s Kloof), and each grape varietal is faithfully wedded to its ideal terroir. Two white varietals, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, are grown, with a substantial number of reds. They include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz. The white varietals are planted on the eastern slopes of the Groenberg, which allow the grapes cooler days and less direct sunlight. The late sunrise and early sunset also allow for a longer ripening process, enhancing the elegance of the award winning wines.

The grapes for this wine are from an eastern-facing parcel of the vineyard, 27 years of age and the clone is CY3, and the soil type, rich deep Clovelly.

Fermentation occurred in barrels and malolactic fermentation followed after which the wine was aged in barrels for a further 8 months before racking a slight filtration, and bottling in December 2019.

Harvesting happened on the 30th of January early in the morning by hand, followed by a whole bunch pressing into stainless steel tanks. After two days of settling, clean juice was racked into 2x500L barrels, half French, half Hungarian, and 1x300L French oak barrel with little to no toasting.