Chardonnay

Excellent with rich flavoured fish dishes, bouillabaisse, scallops and calamari.

Kara-Tara is a joint-venture between Rüdger van Wyk (2018 Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year) and José Conde of Stark-Condé Wines. Translated from the Khoisan, the language from the first people in Southern Africa, it means “deep dark shadows” and refers to the Karatara river that runs through Rüdger’s home town, near Knysna which is located in South Africa, on the Cape South Coast, facing the Indian Ocean.

The harvest started slightly earlier than usual for the Chardonnay vineyards in Elgin and Overberg. Picking slightly earlier gave wines with good acidity and texture. Small berries with thicker than usual skins makes for age-worthy wines. Grapes for this wine are from Overberg, Elgin and Stellenbosch.l The Overberg vineyard is planted on Tafelberg Sandstone, whose stony soils contributed a flinty minerality. The grapes from Elgin add a balancing component of fresh, zesty acidity. The Stellenbosch vineyard is in close proximity to the ocean. Its cooling winds add a saline quality to the final wine.

After 9 months, the wine was carefully racked off the lees. Bottled with minimal fining and filtration.

All grapes were hand-harvested and transported to the winery. Grapes were pressed and allowed to settle naturally. The wine was barrel fermented in French oak (10% new). After fermentation, the wine was matured in neutral oak, with regular lees stirring for a fuller body and balanced acidity.