Meerlust Chardonnay 2025

Ageing
Ageing potential of up to six years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.

In The Vineyard
As with all our wines, the Chardonnay is a true expression of the Meerlust estate and illustrates the unique climate and soil of the farm. The wine draws fruit from blocks located on two of our four distinctive terroirs namely:Compagniesdrift - The soils from this warm north facing slope are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to the coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening. The blocks are situated on the highest part of the estate and benefit from cool nights and a prevailing sea breeze that passes over the blocks in the afternoon.Quarry - The extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic citrus fruit with exceptional length, detail, and precision.

The Harvest
A dry and late start to winter, that resulted in later cold unit accumulation, with record high levels of rain for July. Spring was cooler resulting in later bud burst, with favourable conditions for flowering. Good rainfall continued into the early summer months. The summer was cooler, with maximum temperatures almost 3 degrees cooler than the previous season, and a dry and moderate season for the harvest period. We expect exceptional quality from the 2025 vintage.

In The Cellar
The grapes were hand-picked by an experienced team to ensure optimal fruit selection. After pressing, the juice was settled overnight before being racked, with a portion of fine solids, to the fermentation vessels. Fermentation took place in a combination of 30% new, 33% second-fill and 32% third-fill 300-litre barrels, with 8% fermented in concrete tank. Selected yeast was used for some ferments, while others underwent natural spontaneous fermentation. The wine was matured until the desired mouthfeel and complexity were achieved, then removed from barrel and lightly fined before bottling.