Glenelly Glass Collection Unwooded Chardonnay 2024
Bright, brilliant pale straw with a subtle green hue. Aromatic nose of citrus, white peach, wildflowers and grilled nuts over a delicate mineral spine. The palate is crisp and refreshing with focused stone-fruit and lemon-zest flavours, a saline mid-palate and a clean, dry finish. Excellent as an aperitif or with seafood, salads and roast chicken.
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay 2023
The Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay is a great expression of what both Elgin and the the Paul Cluver Estate can produce. Just like its Pinot Noir partner, the Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay undergoes both vineyard and barrel selection, in a quest by Paul Cluver to create the ultimate expression of the variety. The 2021 vintage shows a light-yellow green hue, and the nose is expressive with notes of fresh citrus zest which is complemented by stone fruit and hints of oak. The palate is an exciting combination of crisp citrus fruit with great complexity, concentration, and hints of oak in the background. The wine is elegant with a long and lingering finish.
International Wine Challenge 2023:
IWC Sustainable Trophy & International Chardonnay
97/100 Trophy & South African White Trophy
97/100 International Wine Challenge 2023: Gold Medal
95/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 2023: Gold Medal
Food pairing: Fish, poultry, pork and game bird dishes work well with this wine. It works particularly well with creamy pastas and salmon dishes. The good acidity and balance between wood and fruit keeps the wine from being overly rich and consequently, great without food too. Mussel soup is a perfect match.
Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2022
The Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2020 has floral aromas with baked apple, singed citrus rind and toasted chestnuts. A harmony of apple notes, citrus, heather and spiced cinnamon butter are on the palate which is all supported by a vivid acidity. The flavours of pastry and toasted fruit linger to a mouth-watering finish.
Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Brilliant pale gold. Fragrant aromas of white peach, nectarine and citrus blossom layered with toasted hazelnut, vanilla and subtle creamy oak. The palate is full and textured with a seamless integration of fruit and oak, vibrant acidity and a long, mineral-tinged finish. One of the Cape's finest Chardonnays.
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2024
A tight, mineral wine with classic Hamilton Russell Vineyards length and complexity. Prominent pear and lime fruit aromas and flavours are brought beautifully into focus by a tight line of bright natural acid and a long, dry minerality. An elegant, yet textured and intense wine with a strong personality of both place and vintage.
Accolades
95 Points - Tim Atkin MW South Africa Special Report 2024
95 Points - Julie Sheppard, Decanter March 2024
94 Points "Peak performance" - David Lawrason, Wine Align, Canada, July 2024
93 Points - James Suckling
95 Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2024
Hamilton Russell's excellent Chardonnay has been a benchmark for as long as I can remember, a Cape calling card for the variety on international markets. This is typically intense, complex and layered, with notes of buttered croissant, stone fruit and honey, well-judged underlying freshness and acidity and stylishly handled 24% new wood.
95 Julie Sheppard, Decanter, March 2024
This has creamy citrus aromas, layered with pear, bright lime and nutty hints. Poised and precise palate; textured with generous silky ripeness to the citrus fruit. Already layered and complex, but with more to come, this is a beautiful Burgundian style, for a fraction of the price of Burgundy.
93 James Suckling
An elegant chardonnay that has aromas of fresh apricots, spiced apples, sourdough, licorice and cedar. It’s medium- to full-bodied, deliciously spicy and toasty, with bright acidity and a long, pristine finish.
Kershaw GPS Series Lower Duivenhoks River Chardonnay 2018
Kershaw GPS Series Lower Duivenhoks River Chardonnay 2018 has a gorgeous aromatic intensity displaying peach blossom, incense, white nectarine, red apple and a flutter of dried pineapple. Nudges of oat bran and oat flakes are also there. This wine is very much a juxtaposition of soft, gentle smoothness set alongside an incisive mineral acidity. Broader in the mid-palate in contrast with clean lines and focus that drives the wine along in the mouth. As the wine unfolds further, there is a chalk dust texture, coated with supple tinned peach slices, pear flesh, satsuma peel and suggestions of pineapple; all gently enrobed with a creamy, light, spicy oak. On the extended finish, there is even a hint of lemon acid and pithiness, adding further complexity to a hugely appealing wine. Certainly, it is one of the best Chardonnay vintages of the past 10 years.
Selected from a single vineyard block of Chardonnay in the Lower Duivenhoks River area.
The wine rested in barrel for eleven months. A small number of artisanal coopers were selected, all from Burgundy, and only French oak was chosen. Importantly, each clone and soil type was microvinified as separate batches. In 2020, it was 62% new oak and 100% in 228L barrels.
Shannon Vineyards Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2021
The Shannon Vineyards Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2021 is a premium white wine from the Elgin Valley in the Western Cape of South Africa. Named after the estate's founder, it is recognized as a sophisticated, cool-climate Chardonnay.
93/100 (Tim Atkin MW, 2021 Vintage)
Tasting Notes & Character
Aroma: Features an enticing bouquet of apricot, peach, citrus/tangerine, and fragrant pear, with subtle hints of vanilla.
Palate: Full-bodied yet elegant and balanced. Flavours include ripe pear, lime zest, and creamy, buttery tones.
Structure: It has a "river stone" minerality, with a bold, complex, and layered profile.
Finish: Graceful, sustained, and fresh, with lingering acidity and spicy nuances.
Style: Buttery and complex.
Journey’s End V1 Chardonnay 2023
Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2022 showcases the elegance and precision of Greyton’s cool-climate terroir. Crafted from high-altitude vineyards on decomposed shale and clay, this refined Chardonnay opens with vibrant citrus, lime zest and white peach, layered with jasmine, subtle spice and a whisper of toasted nuts. The palate is pure and mineral-driven, combining crisp acidity with generous texture and beautifully integrated oak. Fresh, focused and impeccably balanced, it delivers a long, clean finish that highlights both its sophistication and sense of place. A standout South African Chardonnay that marries tension and finesse, offering a compelling alternative to premium Burgundy while remaining unmistakably Lismore. Perfect with seafood, poultry or elegant seasonal dishes.
In the 2025 Decanter South African Chardonnay Panel Tasting, this wine was awarded 97 points and placed 2nd overall.
Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2021
Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2021 has a precise entry, with incisive acidity with mineral and chalk texture. A lifted mid-palate is filed with apple, spiced poached pear and white pepper. A scented Freesia is running down the spine of the wine giving elegance to the wine.
100% Chardonnay made from Dijon clones CY96, CY95, CY76 and the Entav clone CY548.
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonay 2019 Magnum
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonnay 2019 Magnum
An expressive bouquet with lime zest and stone fruit at its core. Elegantly integrated oak shows notes of butterscotch opening up to a roasted nut aroma and a clean, chalky minerality. An initial bright acidity on the palate balances the rich and creamy texture of the wine with the peach and lime note following through to a lingering, toasty finish.
95 points Tim Atkin
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonay 2022
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonnay 2022
Pale honeyed yellow in the glass, offering flinty aromas layered with notes of peaches and cream. The palate is richly creamy, balanced by a crisp finish with fresh acidity. Flavours of walnut and apricot add depth, creating a wine that is deeply nuanced and impressive.
95 points Tim Atkin
92 points James Suckling
4½ stars Platter’s SA Wine Guide
