Glenelly Estate Estate Reserve Chardonnay Stellenbosch 2019 750 ML

The Estate Reserve Chardonnay displays a wonderful bright crisp colour, with vibrant citrus, lime zest and hints of butterscotch on the nose. The palate is lush and the creamy texture is underpinned with beautiful mineral notes of toasted almond and vanilla. The finish is fresh with great minerality and with a nervous energy about it.

Producer Information
Glenelly Estate is a wine estate in Ida’s Valley, on the southern slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The red wines are made in a Bordeaux style, mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon, and white wines are made from Chardonnay. The estate dates back to the 17th Century when the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, ceded lands to Frenchman François Villion. Over the decades, the estate passed hands numerous times. In the early 2000s, Glenelly was purchased by May-Elaine de Lencquesaing, the owner of the famous Pauillac estate, Château Pichon Longueville. Lencquesaing recognized the land’s potential for growing quality grapes, and launched the winery as it is known today in 2009. Glenelly is made up of 123 hectares (304 acres), planted to both red and white grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Chardonnay. The region of Stellenbosch has some similarities with Bordeaux: like the Médoc, it has a close proximity to water – in this case the Atlantic and Indian oceans; and iit s on a similar latitude, albeit in the southern hemisphere. As a result, both regions enjoy a temperate climate conducive for grape growing. The winery is a modern structure comprising four floors all working by gravity flow to remain environmentally friendly and efficient. Glenelly’s philosophy is to produce wines that resonate in the Bordeaux style, using natural fermentation and earlier harvest dates to retain acidity and lower alcohol, creating more restrained wines with potential for aging. Glenelly has three tiers in its portfolio. The flagship wine is the Lady Mary Bordeaux blend, made from the best fruit on the property each vintage and aged for 24 months in new French oak. The next tier is the Grand Vin de Glenelly, made up of a red and a white wine: a blend comprised of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, which is aged for 18 months in French oak, and a Chardonnay aged in 500 litre French oak barrels. Finally, the Glass Collection is Glenelly’s introductory range, and includes an unoaked Chardonnay, a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Syrah, all sourced from the Glenelly estate.