2020 Tokara Reserve Collection Chardonnay

This wine displays a vibrant light straw colour. Aromas of lemon curd, honeysuckle, oatmeal and toasted brioche emanate from the glass. The wine enters the palate with bold, ripe, yellow citrus flavours leading to a creamy mid-palate with subtle vanilla, star anise and toasted almond. There is a continuous saline focus and feeling of freshness throughout. A wine of retrained power and finesse with a pH value that ensures it will age easily for a decade or more.

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Viticulture

The soils are all Oakleaf from Granitic origin with varying levels of sandstone boulders in the profile. It is a deep clay rich soil, with gravelly elements.

The vines cropped between 6 and 7 tons per hectare. The grapes were handpicked between 5th and 15th February at optimal flavour ripeness with sugars between 22-23.4°brix and 6.5-7.5g/l acid.

This Chardonnay is made from grapes grown on Tokara's Stellenbosch farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain Range. The slopes vary between South-Eastern to North Western aspects of altitudes between 300m and 360m above sea level.

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Vinification

The grapes were de-stemmed, crushed and pressed to stainless steel tanks for settling overnight or whole bunch pressed after a night in the cold room with one night's settling and subsequent racking. Only the free run juice from the best blocks is used for the Reserve Collection Chardonnay. The juice from the de-stemmed batches was then racked and run off to barrel for fermentation with selected yeast. After fermentation the wine was topped and left on the lees with regular sitting for 9 months. 50% of the barrels were allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. The barrels were all 228 litres, tight grain French oak. 41% were new and the rest were second and third fill barrels.

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Recommendation

Serve with roasted white meats, grilled fish or creamy white cheese.