Quercus Gold Chardonnay
The recent demarcation of the Darling district has led to a focus at Darling Cellars on wines which are terroir and varietal specific. The cool and temperate West Coast climate lends itself to a different micro- and mesoclimate which, along with the different types of soil, nature intended for grapes to be as one can get.
Darling Cellars Reserve is a wine range of straight varietals where the focus is on fruit driven, varietal true, value for money wines.
Wine: Quercus Gold Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Origin: Darling
Cultivar(s): 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier
Winemaker: Abé Beukes & Welma Visser
Terroir: Deep, decomposed granite soils on the slopes of the Darling Hills, with a cooling effect in the warm afternoons from the Atlantic Ocean in close proximity.
Vineyard type: Bush Vine, dry land
Yield: 6 t/ha
Balling at Harvest: 21-22 °B
Vinification: Crush and destalk, 15 days fermentation and further maturation with French oak staves.
Maturation: Kept on light lees for 3 months for fuller mouth feel and complexity
Alc: 13.9%
TA: 6.1g/l
RS: 4.0g/l
pH: 3.48
Winemaker’s comments:
White pears and tropical fruits are the flavours you’ll find on this lightly wooded Chardonnay. A clean, soft mouth feel and the aroma of pear on the palate with a well balanced aftertaste, makes this the perfect wine with food.
