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 acidity, 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.

T A S T I N G  N O T E S
Lucid ripe citrus and white peach are inured with ornate spices and lime zest. The fleshiness of
the wine is counter balanced with mineral tones and gunflint. The brittle crunch in the
structure hems in the lush texture, with an elongated thread of acid ity resonating in the finish.

A N A L Y S I S

Alcohol by volume: 13.0 %
Total Acidity: 6.4 g/l
pH: 3.5
Residual sugar: 2.0 g/l

L O C A T I O N & C L I M A T E
These vineyards lie on the mid slopes at altitudes o f 240-260m, in the porphyritic Granite 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).

A P P E L L A T I O N: Wine of Origin UPPER HEMEL-EN-AARDE VALLEY
S O I L:  Carbon rich decomposed granite over red clay subsoil

A S P E C T: North (30%), South (45%) South East (25%). Slopes of 11-13%.
T R E L I S S I N G: 7-wire Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) with movable wires
A G E  O F  V I N E S: 15 – 20 years
P R U N I N G: Cordon and Double Guyot
V I N E S  P E R  Ha: 2645 (steep slope with partial terraces) – 4166
A V E R A G E  Y I E L D: 3.5 – 8.5 tons/Ha (25 – 60 hl/Ha)

2 0 2 1  V I N T A G E
Growing Season & Harvesting
The growing season was preceded by a glorious Winter for vine dormancy. Abundant rain from
May through to August and 45 chilling portions to a late budbreak in mid -September, ensured
an even budbreak and good fertility in the vi nes. An exceptionally cool Spring produced late
flowering from mid to late November, with a storm system causing some wind damage during
flowering on 25t h November. As December passed into January, the rain disappeared and the
sun came out, producing a dry and warmer ripening period for the grapes. The drawn out
growing season still culminated in an average ripening period of 107 days from flowering to
harvest for both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Abundant yields were observed in all varieties
and excellent health of the bunches from the drier conditions.
The Chardonnay was harvested from selected parcels on the farm from 23r d February to 10t h
March.

Winemaking
The grapes are handpicked and packed in to small, shallow crates to limit crushing of the
bunches. The day’s harvest is cooled down overnight to 8ºC in the winery’s refrigerated cold
room. The grape bunches are hand -sorted on a conveyor table and fall directly to the press for
whole bunch pressing. The best quality juice (approximately 40% of the press yield) is drained
directly to barrel, with the balance settled by temperature only ( no enzyme used) and racked the
next day to barrel for spontaneous fermentation. No sulphur is used in the winemaking until
preparations for bottling, allowing diverse micro-organisms from the grape itself to flourish
unrestrained in the fermentation.

Maturation & Bottling
Matured for 11 months in barrique (228L) and puncheon (500L) barrels produced in Burgundy
and custom made for these vineyards. The format size of barrel varies from vineyard to
vineyard, depending on vine age and the power of expression of each site. Tighter grained oak
is preferred for subtle flavour, with longer seasoning and slower, lower temperature toasting.
New oak comprises 22%. The wine is racked to stainless steel for another 5 months of élevage.
No fining, coarse filtration and sulphur adjustment before bottling.

B O T T L E S  P R O D U C E D : 14040 x 750ml
B O T T L I N G  D A T E: 1 June 2022
B E S T  D R I N K I N G: Now – 10 years

Data Sheet:

https://newtonjohnson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2022-NJFVCH.pdf