Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2023

Newton Johnson, fact sheet (newtonjohnson.com – linket fra newtonjohnson.com, hentet 2026-10-18): 2023 Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Chardonnay – område: Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley; druer: Chardonnay; alkohol 13.1%. Producentens noter (engelsk): Background: Chardonnay is compelling when it has energy, giving you an impressionists’ experience of natural light. It is an elusive quality that great wines share despite the versatility of the variety. It is more of a winemakers ’ wine where observation pays off , and though it is easy to make, in contrast it is surprisingly easy to muddy the message from the vineyard. The Family Vineyards Chardonnay is comprised of three vineyard sites from the farm , widely varied in their exposure to the sun . The vibrancy, clear cut structure and long flavour we perceive from these granitic slopes is our safeguarded jewel. This well-drained, gravelly soil of mostly quartz, pink feldspar and mica on the lower part of the slope reaches down to deposits of clay. Clay adsorbs water and high concentrations of trace elements for the increasingly complex activity of soil microorganisms, which all contributes to the building blocks of the wine’s crystalline flavour profile. Our south facing Chardonnay vineyards produce edgy and agile wines with nervy acidit y, while the north facing slopes are more lustrous wines , delivering weight without being heavy, layering the structure . A natural approach in the winemaking will ensure a complex array of characters in this wine. Location & climate: These vineyards lie on the mid slopes at altitudes o f 240-260m, in the porphyritic G ranite soils of the Upper Hemel -en-Aarde Valley. This appellation ranges from 4 to 8 km in proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is cool and temperate, where parallel mountain ranges channel the southerly oceangoing winds through the appellation during the summer. Thes e southerly winds in turn create regular sea mists and overcast conditions, moderating the temperatures in the valley. The annual rainfall is 850mm, with 50% falling in the winter months (May – August). Vintage: Growing Season & Harvesting The growing season was preceded by a fairly marginal Winter for vine dormancy. June saw some good rainfall throughout, followed by drier and mild periods in July that presumably caused some uneven budding in the Chardonnay. A colder August retained the dor mancy in the vineyards to a timely budbreak in the 2 n d week of September. A drier, windy and quite cool Spring resulted in slow growth in the vine canopy until December when some heat and good rains brought a late flush of vegetal growth. […]