2018 DeMorgenzon Chardonnay Reserve
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Estate fruit from blocks 10 and 11, picked in two passes. Whole-bunch pressed to 35% new 300-litre French oak for barrel fermentation, then nine months’ maturation. 40–45% MLF. TA 5.9 g/l, pH 3.35, RS 3.3 g/l. A ripe, orchard-fruit style with caramel, almond and cinnamon that integrates well into the whole. Good acidity sweeps through the palate to a decent-length, flinty finish. (TJ)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Tim Jackson MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Reserve Chardonnay was hand-picked and whole-bunch-pressed, then matured in French barrels, 30% new and the rest used. It has a stunning bouquet of yellow plum, citrus peel and orange blossom aromas that are seamlessly enmeshed with the oak. The palate is very well balanced, displaying orange zest and quince notes on the entry, a killer line of acidity and a very precise and persistent finish that lingers long in the mouth. I am not sure winemaker Carl van der Merwe has ever made a Chardonnay as good as this.
Zippy, fresh and clean, the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay has all the right moves that I look for in a New World Chardonnay. On the nose, green apples, juicy pear, lemon tart and integrated oak tones of toasted brioche all beg for your attention. In the mouth, the wine is seamlessly balanced and has an immaculate texture across the mid-palate. This is a vibrant, medium to full-bodied with a calculated and thoughtful finish. For Chardonnay lovers, you will find this bottling very pleasing. The wine was aged for ten months on the lees, in 30% new French oak barrels. Approximately 70% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, adding to its complexity and finesse. 18,000 bottles were made.
Delicate and very hands-off. Very clever! Rather Puligny-like. Great balance. Beginning middle and end. But already approachable. Subtle but not reserved. (JR)