The Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay 2009 was rated in the Top 10 overall at the famous Chardonnay du Monde^® competition in Burgundy, France last week, the only South African wine to do so. Of the 887 wines entered, only 65 received Gold, of which only two were South African.

This rare Chardonnay comes from a very specific vineyard planted in 2003 on low-yielding weathered Table Mountain sandstone, high against the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains where it experienced very cool climate conditions, exposed to the southeasterly winds from False Bay.

Says Chris Joubert, cellarmaster: “With these special grapes we combined two different fermentation methods, 50% natural fermentation, giving the wine its glow, richness, cream, length, power and its ageing potential of up to four years; and 50% controlled inoculated fermentation that brings about the fruitiness in the wine”.

It was matured in 100% new Burgundy fine grain low toasted oak. After nine months on the lees, it was bottled with minimum filtration.

“An arguable combination of perfect, rich wild ferment, lovely concentration of fruit, exceptional sugar acid balance and the world’s best barrels,” says Joubert.