La Vierge Jezebelle Chardonnay 2020

The La Vierge wine collection consists primarily of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Although the Jezebelle Chardonnay is the more commercial one, it should not be underestimated for its quality. My first encountering with the Jezebelle Chardonnay was a 2014 vintage, tasted in 2022, and the tertiary notes of toast and nuts that were expressed in this wine was unbelievable. The latest vintage indicates a similar potential to age well but is drinking beautifully at the moment as well.

The vines for this wine were planted on shale and clay, and fruits from six different vineyards in the Walker Bay district were blended to create this wine. It has a gold-yellow colour and offers fresh notes of citrus and stone fruit on the nose. It delivers very well on the palate with lemon, peaches, vanilla pod and hints of toast. It is a very fresh wine that can be ascribed to the Atlantic Ocean influences and a stone mineral character can be ascribed to the blends of different vineyards and clones. Although crisp, it has an elegant mouthfeel that is a result of 8 months on the gross lees and a few months in Burgundian 500 litre oak puncheons. It has a long finish with some floral notes coming through.

This wine will work well with a creamy chicken pasta or roasted pork fillet. It has a good ageing potential of 10 or more years, or it can be enjoyed now. It is value for money and a must-try for any Chardonnay lover. I recently presented this wine at a tasting where the influence of the glass was explored. It worked very well in the standard tasting glass, but showed much more elegance in a Riedel Performance Chardonnay glass. This wine is available from Partners in Wine.

Producer: La Vierge

Variety: Chardonnay 100%

Vintage: 2020

Origin: Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde, Western Cape, South Africa

Winemaker: Christo Kotze

Closure: Screwcap

Alcohol: 13.37%

RS: 3.0g/l

Average price: R170

Rating: 93/100