Oak Valley Groenlandberg Chardonnay 2023

Description

Comments from Oak Valley

The Groenlandberg is an isolated, fynbos covered, cloud catching mountain that forms the backdrop of the Oak Valley Estate. The terroir of these wines with its Bokkeveld Shale rich in clay soils, the cool climate of the Elgin Valley, the high altitude and gentle winemaking practices, is what gives this wine its character and depth of fruit.

Winter of 2022 provided us with sufficient rainfall and cold temperatures to bring about good dormancy. August and September had some unusually warm days which pushed forward our budburst by about 10 days. Flowering conditions were favourable and a decent crop, similar in size to 2022, was set. Due to the slightly drier soils during Spring, we had less vigorous canopies which allowed for good sun and wind penetration. In December we received 102mm of rain which supplemented soil water contents nicely.

The onset of veraison was also slightly earlier as a result of the earlier onset of the season and the available soil water assisted its early completion. January and the first half of February were cooler compared to 2022, yet harvest started very early on 30 January with some young plantings of Chardonnay. From early February, our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blocks quickly came into ripeness. Late February brought about a sudden drop in temperatures and also frequent rain. Luckily, most of our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were already in the winery by this time.

March saw a further drop in daytime temperatures and 160mm of rain, which quickly turned the vintage into a very tricky one indeed for the unharvested vineyards all over the Cape. Luckily for us, our focus is on the earlier ripening varietals and these were in excellent condition once again.

Winemaking Philosophy at Oak Valley

Made from a selection of vineyards found high up along the Groenlandberg is a wine made to truly represent the vintage and the terroir in which it is grown. Gentle winemaking and consistent approach to French Oak maturation allows one to truly experience wine grown in a very special place.