The Babylonstoren Chardonnay was on a wish list of one of the Decanter Wine Club members – he was eager for me to share his favourite wine with the other members. When I received the 2021 vintage from Babylonstoren, two things crossed my mind: 1) it is very impressive that all 28,920 bottles that were produced are numbered by hand; and 2) they sent me the 2021 vintage, is that correct? From what I could remember, this is not an unoaked wine and we are often used to seeing slightly older vintages of Chardonnay on the shelves. However, this is where the expertise of the winemaker comes into play!
The grapes for this excellent Chardonnay were sourced from the Simonsberg Mountain in the vicinity of Franschhoek in the Western Cape of South Africa. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed and fermentation was started in stainless steel tanks. After three days, the wines were transferred into French oak barrels. Here is where the magic started! The wine was kept for up to four months on its primary lees and the French technique of lees stirring (battonage) was employed to give this wine a smooth mouthfeel and butteriness. In total, this wine spent 11 months in oak before bottling, which added to the vanilla and roasted almonds that you pick up on the nose.
In the glass, it has a light-yellow colour with a golden hue. It is forthcoming on the nose with lemon, lime, vanilla and almonds. It follows through on the palate with fresh lemon, lime, sweet spices, butter, vanilla and slight hints of pineapple. It remains fresh throughout but has a smooth mouthfeel that balances well on the entire palate. It finishes with a fruity aftertaste that quickly develops into a fresh minerality. Served chilled well, this is an ideal wine to drink on its own or with some creamy foods. It is ready to drink now, but will age well in ten years from now if cellared correctly.
I am happy to add that the person who put this wine on their wish list, immediately recognised the wine.
Producer: Babylonstoren
Variety: Chardonnay 100%
Vintage: 2021
Origin: Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Klaas Stoffberg
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14%
RS: 1.6g/l
Average price: R320
Rating: 94/100
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