Summary
| Producer | La Motte |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2008 |
| Body | Medium |
| Style | Crisp dry whites |
| Bottle Size | 0.75 l |
| Colour | At bottling stage, this wine had a straw colour with a slight green tint. |
| Wine Origin | |
| Origin | Franschhoek |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Country | South Africa |
Wine Makers Notes
| Winemaker | Edmund Terblanche |
|---|---|
| Winemakers Approach | All the grapes for this wine were produced on La Motte. |
| The Vintage | Forecasts by producers of early fruit such as peaches were confirmed – the season was at least two weeks late. The period towards ripening was cool and created ideal conditions for an exceptional year, described by some as European. Sugar levels rose slowly, which was a very positive aspect. Rain, however, complicated timing and special care had to be taken during harvesting. Grapes were harvested on different dates in order to create a variety of flavours in the wine. |
| The Vineyard | Vineyard blocks: 6 (4,9 ha)Soil type: ClovellyDirection planted: North-SouthDensity: 4 630 vines per hectare ( 2,7 x 0,8 )Root stock: Richter 99Clone: CY 3Year planted: 1997Trellising: Perold Irrigation:Drip - Vineyards are managed to maintain a perfect balance between leaf coverage and yield. |
| The Winemaking | All the grapes were pressed whole-bunch and the juice was handled reasonably oxidatively. The clean juice was placed into 225-litre French oak barrels where it was inoculated with yeast and fermented at between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. Malolactic fermentation was also allowed in the barrels. One third of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks without malolactic fermentation. |
| Analysis | |
| Alcohol | 13.61% |
| Residual Sugar | 2.4 g/l |
| Acidity | 5.66 g/l |
| pH | 3.42 |
Wine Makers Notes
| Tasting Notes | |
|---|---|
| Colour | At bottling stage, this wine had a straw colour with a slight green tint. |
| Bouquet | The aroma has an intense citrus blossom nose, supported by fresh pineapple and yellow apple fruit. A straw nuance reveals the contribution of the oak. |
| Palate | The palate is silky-round, with hints of caramel and nuts, while the finish lingers with lime freshness. |
| Serving and Storage | |
| Food Pairings | Essentially a fine-food wine. Excellent with caviar, snails, carpaccio, pâté, crayfish (Cape rock lobster), prawns, langoustine, mussels, perlemoen (abalone) and creamy cheese. |
