Paserene Wines Chardonnay 2020

The 2019 Paserene Chardonnay shows great promise. Green to gold in colour with a vibrantly clear tint. On the nose the wine shows bright citrus with whiffs of lemon sponge, honeysuckle and oatmeal,followed by chalk and a saline ocean spray. The wine boasts a broad and flavourful palate with domineering flavours of lime, complemented by rich yet still delicate tropical and notes of lightly grilled nuts. This vintage is yet again endowed by exuberant acidity which gives the wine a fighting chance to age well beyond decades. The wine has great texture and is very well balanced.

The grapes were picked between 22 and 23 Brix, then transported to the winery and cooled to 1C. The grapes were loaded into the press whole and pressed for about 7 hours upon which the juice was transferred unsettled to barrel at about 600 NTU. The whole process takes place in the presence of oxygen and this greatly contributes to the wine's ability to age. Fermentation sets in naturally after about 4 days and last for just over a month. Due to the low pH of 2.9, the wine takes about 12 months to complete malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnay barrels were rolled and not stirred for batonnage. This enables the wine to benefit from sediment contact without too much oxygen uptake.

The wine spent 16 months in barrel, which is exceptionally long for a white wine. Thirty percent new oak, while the rest were aged in second and third fill barrels. The wine was bottled unfiltered and matured in bottle for one year before release.