Cableway Chardonnay 2018
DH Collectors Reserve
BACKGROUND
Inspired by Cape Town’s radiant energy and creative demeanour, our new premium offering – The Collector’s Reserve – is a unique range specially crafted by our winemakers using only the finest grapes from Cape Town’s best vineyards. To truly connect the Winelands and City, we have handpicked prominent landmarks in Cape Town and commissioned a vibrant Capetonian artist – Theo Vorster – to impart his vision of these landmarks onto each bottle. This range has been designed as a collector’s item for both wine and art lovers alike.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
The Cableway is the gateway to an awe-inspiring experience to view Cape Town from a unique perspective atop the majestic Table Mountain. The Chardonnay benefits from the Atlantic sea mist which creeps up the lower-lying slopes of the Durbanville hills and cools our vineyards. Rich citrus flavours develop, which are complemented by subtle oak notes.
THE VINEYARDS
The grapes were selected from two 15-year-old blocks on the open Western side of the valley. The one block is Westerly-facing ensuring good sun exposure, whilst the other faces in the cooler South-Westerly direction. The soils are deep clay-rich weathered shale with fractured shale lower down. These soils allow for deep penetration of the roots. The elevation is fairly flat, ensuring even ripening and a homogenous flavour profile throughout the vineyards. The blocks are well protected from the wind while cool air moving through the valley during the night ensures slow ripening.
The grapes were picked only when the berries become translucent, with the seeds visible on the inside, a sign of ripeness in Chardonnay. The selection was based on block history as the vineyards have proved in the past that their grapes provide good structure and fruit, both for the wooded and unoaked parts of the blend.
THE WINEMAKING
The grapes were hand-picked, handled with minimum intervention and minimum use of sulphur. The juice was allowed to settle, where after it was racked to a stainless steel tank for fermentation. When a third of the fermentation was completed, 60% of the fermented juice was placed in barrels from selected coopers to finish the fermentation. Regular lees stirring was done for a period of 10 months to enhance the mouth feel. A portion of the barrels were placed on cradles with rollers. Rolling of barrels is done to ensure lees stirring without the uptake of oxygen. To protect the natural citrus and stone fruit flavours no malo-lactic fermentation was done. Before blending, a barrel selection was done and only the best barrels were selected for this unique wine. After blending the wine was bottled without filtration.
WINEMAKER
Martin Moore and Kobus Gerber
COLOR
Rich straw colour with green tint.
NOSE
Combination of pineapple, lime, citrus blossom and apricot flavours.
TASTE
Full bodied wine with all characters following through on the nose. It ends with a fine fresh acidity which adds focus to the wine.
FOOD PAIRING
Chicken, quail, turkey and game dishes, as well as prawns with a buttery sauce and mussel soup.