Rich Whites
Rich Whites
Bratanov Symbiose White 2022
Regular price £15.95This wine is made by "wild" fermentation. The vineyards are situated on the hills of South Sakar mountain, nearby village of Shishmanovo. Natural crystal sediment may appear.
Country: Bulgaria
Region: Thracian Valley
Grapes: Chardonnay, Viognier, Tamianka
ABV: 13 %
Cap Maritime Chardonnay 2020
Regular price £39.95Tim Atkin South Africa Special Report 2020
“Made by Gottfried Mocke of Boekenhoutskloof, but sold under its own label, this
stylish Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay is made with fruit that used to go into
Sumaridge. Marrying barrel- and concrete-fermented and aged portions, it has
jasmine and hawthorn aromas, pear and citrus fruit and very subtle wood spices.
2020-25” – 93 Points
Country: South Africa
Region: Hemel en Aarde Ridge
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
ABV: 13.8%
Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2021
“Spontaneously fermented, like sibling, 60% in new oak, rest concrete’eggs’ (vs
Pinot‘s 100% concrete vats). All-wholebunch 2018 is elegant, with pristine orchard
& stonefruit, hint of apple blossom, creamy vanilla. Dry, with, a grapefruit pith finish.
Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge WO.”
– 4.5 Stars & 94 Points
Les Heritiers Bourgogne 2020
Regular price £34.00Stunning, white Burgundy at its best!
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Burgundy is renowned for a jigsaw of small plots, fitting side by across the rolling cotes and cru with many different owners - the result of equal inheritance. While some heirs want to make wine, others prefer to live their lives elsewhere, meaning their plots go unloved. Enter Patrice du Jeu, a Parisian restaurateur with the dynamism and energy to revive such plots. Together with family and friends, he managed to buy several parcels in excellent terroirs of the Côte de Beaune including Santenay, Chassagne Montrachet and Mercurey. Joining with white Burgundy expert Jean-Baptise Alinc the wines of these heirs - Les Héritiers - are both technically competent and beautifully crafted.
Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £26.95Crisp, vibrant, lemon citrus with intense buttery, toasted vanilla notes. Fermentation was carried out using a mix of wild and Burgundy yeasts in 2 year old French oak and stainless steel, adding a rich mouthfeel, excellent body and notes of ripe stone fruit, brioche and honey. Wonderful lingering finish.
Country: England
Region: Devon
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 12%
Creation Chardonnay 2017
Regular price £24.95Walker Bay in South Africa is becoming a shining example of how Stellenbosch no longer holds the mantle of 'best region' in South Africa - there are now other contenders..
Country: South Africa
Region: Walker Bay
ABV: 14%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Since founding Creation in 2002, Jean-Claude and Carolyn have led conservation efforts for the area, becoming one of only nine wineries in South Africa to receive EnviroWines accreditation. It’s not simply an audit, but scientific measurement of every management practice.
Tesselaarsdal Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £39.95A wine with a unique history and story. The small village of Tesselaarsdal in the Overberg, 24km north-east of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is named after East India Company settler Johannes Tesselar. On his death in 1810, he bestowed the land to his freed slaves and owner/winemaker Berene herself is a descendant on one of those very slaves. If you look closely at the label, you can make out two people walking across the mountain. This is Berene and her grandmother. Berene has in fact worked at Hamilton Russell for the last 16 years, having started as an au pair, before moving in to the admin office and then becoming fascinated by the winemaking process. Extreme care is taken to ensure this tiny-production, classically styled Chardonnay expresses the personality of the cool, maritime ridge and it’s stony, iron-rich soils.
Country: South Africa
Region: Hemel en Aarde
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5
'Like her Pinot Noir, Berene Sauls' new Chardonnay is made with fruit from La Vierge. Fermented in amphorae and older wood, it's bready, sappy and saline, with some wild yeast complexity and bright acidity. A promising début. 2020-25.' – Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2019, 92/100
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £44.95The holy grail of South African Chardonnay.
Rich, and ripe with Burgundian- style elegance. Very special.
Region: Hermanus, Hemel en Aarde
Country: South Africa
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Low Yielding Vines, maritime influence, stoney/ clay soils
Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £16.95Bursting with aromatics of citrus and green apple, complimented by hints of toasty oak and vanilla from barrel aging. Well balance with a lovely lingering minerality and natural acidity on the finish.
Country: USA
Region: San Francisco Bay, California
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
Vegan
The Estate Grown Morning Fog Chardonnay is named for the morning coastal fog pushed by Pacific wind streams into the bowl of the San Francisco Bay. This daily phenomenon moderates the climate to produce excellent, beautifully balanced Chardonnay.
50% barrel fermented in neutral American oak barrels. 50% fermented in stainless steel tanks. Barrel fermented portion was aged sur lie for 5 months. Bâtonnage, the art of stirring the barrels, was performed monthly. Stainless steel portion was half aged on lees for 5 months while the other half was racked clean to preserve the fresh fruit characters.
Vuurberg White 2018
Regular price £22.95Packed with rich, fresh stone fruit, white spice, green pepper/capsicum and minerality and keeps on giving with a core of stony acidity and a relentless finish.
Country: South Africa
Region: Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch
Grapes: Viognier, Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Quatre Climats 2021
Regular price £98.00A complex wine with lovely toasty notes and aromas of hazelnuts and savoury buttery characters. The palate has more lovely toasty complexity, hazelnuts and cooking apples. This wine is still fresh balanced with tight, nutty acidic structure and good length.
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 14%
Vegan/ Vegetarian
Callender Peak Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £30.95The nose shows notes of vanilla, toast and some exotic pineapple and lemon nuances. The palate is broad, textured and leesy with hints of honeycomb and some yellow citrus. The acidity is piercing due to no malolactic fermentation in this vintage and gives great focus and backbone to a wine as textured as this.
Country: South Africa
Region: Ceres Plateau
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV:13.5%
Viña Cobos Zingaretti Estate Chardonnay 2019
Regular price £61.00This property has historical importance, being farmed by a pioneering family of the wine industry in the Uco Valley. The Italian José Zingaretti immigrated to Argentina at the beginning of the 20 th century, bringing along his knowledge of vine growing and winemaking from his homeland. He was one of the first settlers of Tupungato, which at the time was a remote and nearly inaccessible area. This wine comes from vines of more than 80 years old. Aged for 18 months in a combination of new, second and third use French oak barrels. 50% of the wine underwent full malolactic and 50% partial. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 400 cases made. Drinking beautifully now or hold for up to 6 years.
Stunning old-vine chardonnay shows beautiful density and concentration Precise with a round, creamy texture. It’s full- bodied, refined, soft and fluffy. Fresh and bright. Intense, yet subtle with notes of pear and cherry blossom. Wonderful white with unique character.
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
After visiting Argentina in 1989, Californian trail-blazer Paul Hobbs became deeply interested in both the terroir and Argentine culture, noticing the unique potential for Malbec and other varietals in the region. After meeting two kindred spirits, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud, they founded Viña Cobos in 1997 and since then there has been no looking back. Utilising gnarly old vines, careful vineyard selection, very low yields and an unerring empathy for the raw materials, Viña Cobos craft intense yet balanced wines that showcase the elegance and beauty of this region. The wines from Cobos have branched into four different brands – Felino, Bramare appellation, Bramare Single Vineyard and the super premium Cobos. Binding all of the wines from Viña Cobos is the true identity of each variety and the unique terroir of Mendoza, truly world class wines from a world class producer.
Warwick White Lady Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £29.95Limited edition Chardonnay from Warwick’s Estate vineyard Block 18 and the Helderberg Vineyards. Aromas of flowers, minerals and stones, white nectarine and poached pear on the nose. Silky yet austere with a round yet clean and long lemon flavoured finish.
Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 14.5%
Elements Wind Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £15.95Straw yellow colour with golden hues. Aromatic nose with notes of ripe yellow fruits, mirabelle, peach, a touch of vanilla and white chocolate.
Country: Bulgaria
Region: Sofia
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13,5 %
Korten Winery Natura Melnik Rosé 2022
Regular price £15.95Beautiful, delicate salmon colour. Exotic notes dominated by mature citrus, tropical fruits, gentle lemongrass and light spiciness. The palate is balanced and structured, with an abundance of light red fruits and flowers,
light spiciness and a fresh fruit lasting finish.
Country: Bulgaria
Region: Struma Valley
Grapes: Melnik
ABV: 13 %
Food Match: On its own or with Asian and Mexican cuisine, fish, seafood, white meats and
salads.
Iona Fynbos Chardonnay 2020
Regular price £47.50
93 points, Tim Atkin
The Fynbos Vineyard has well drained soils with north facing slopes that result in a rich, fleshy, generous wine. This wine was 100% wild fermented in a selection of 228L and 300L French oak barrels (25% new, the rest in 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels). It remained on the lees for a total of 12 months with no battonage. Nuanced and multi-layered – this vineyard produces wines with depth and weight, and great structure that allows for significant ageing potential. Sandstone is the dominant soil type in this north-facing vineyard on Iona's spectacular farm. More open and aromatic than its stablemate Kloof, it has top notes of fynbos and aniseed, flavours of honey and stone fruit and attractive patisserie spices from 25% new oak. TA
Country: South Africa
Region: Elgin
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Chardonnay
In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.
After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.
As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.
Maison Jaffelin Meursault 2022
Regular price £84.95Fruity nose often expressing notes of rhubarb. Full mouth with lots of fat on the finish and notes of toasted almonds.
Country: France
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
The grapes come from a plot called "Les Forges" located west of the village of Meursault. The soils are shallow.
Chanzy Mercurey Blanc 'Les Caraby' 2021
Regular price £36.95A much warmer site than ‘Clos Les Bussieres’, ‘Les Caraby’ is a small 1 hectare ‘clos’ tagged on to the end of Mercurey’s most famous premier cru, ‘Clos du Roy’. Almost always the first vineyard picked, this is a fast ripening site with its own little valley of both north and south facing vines. This vintage has produced a really well balanced wine with ripe tropical fruits jumping out of the apple and citrus background. Really good texture and weight. No new oak was used in this vineyard. Only one barrel produced. *Limited Availability*
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
Food Match: Wonderful with rich lobster linguini
Star investment wine - drinking 2024 to 2030
Viré Clessé Loron 2019 Magnum
Regular price £49.00The youngest of the Mâcon appellations, created in 1999. Its soils cover 4 communes and are partially made up of "cray”, a type of limestone soil with magnificent white pebbles... Clean, fleshy white fruit aroma with a subtle honeyed finish.
Country: France
Region: Mâcon, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13%
Food Match: white meat, seafood and soft goats cheese
Chanzy Rully 1er Cru 'Rabourcé' 2020 Magnum
Regular price £95.00Wow - This is beautiful, and a masterclass in balance. Rich stone fruit, apples, pears, and quince. Hints of spice, orange zest apple strudel, and a great backbone of acidity make this a very delicious wine indeed. Rabourcé is one of the warmest sites in Rully and lends itself very well to creating fruit forward wines with spice and texture. This wine was not produced in 2021 - so a good vintage to stock up and keep!
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
Food Match: Salmon En Croûte