Robertson Winery’s Vineyard Selection King’s
River Chardonnay has always been a winner, and this vintage
is no
exception: the 2007 has just won a Veritas gold medal.
The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard close to the
King’s River on a farm that has been owned by the Colyn
family for generations. “The well-weathered Karoo soils
have a generous lime content; perfect for coaxing out the citrus
flavours we all look for
in a good Chardonnay,” explains Jacques Roux, winemaker
of
Robertson Winery’s single vineyard range.
He continues: “Once in the cellar the wine was fermented
in the
barrel using only the natural occurring yeast on the grapes.
It was
matured in a combination of new and second-fill French oak
and
was prohibited from going through malolactic fermentation to
retain its inherent fruity flavours. Batonage was carried out
regularly
for 3 months but the wine remained in the barrel for 11 months
in total.” “
I pick up layers of fresh citrus and lime, with hints of oatmeal
and
butterscotch,” he says of this generously flavoured wine
with a long
finish. “It’s so easy to overstep the mark with
Chardonnay,” says
Roux, “but I am very satisfied with the gentle balance
between fruit
and wood in this wine. I look forward to enjoying a few glasses
this
summer with a ‘braai-ed’ yellowtail or lemon-roasted
chicken.”
