21/05/2018 – Anthonij Rupert, Protea Chardonnay 2017

(2018) For many, the main interest in this wine might be the closure on the bottle: the innovative 'Helix', an unscrewable cork, featured on wine-pages four years ago when it was announced, but appearing on a commercially available wine in the UK for the first time - watch the video for information and a demonstration of the cork, which is also on the Sauvingnon Blanc partner to this wine. The wine itself is a nicely fresh and crunchy Chardonnay, very lightly-oaked, and focused on succulent pear and more tropical fruit, with a herbal tang and lemony-fresh acidity. It's a nice example of restrained but ripe Chardonnay, and the cork is certainly a talking point.

2 comments

  1. Thanks for such a nice episode. Enjoyed the garden view and can’t wait to try one of those bottles. So simple but so ingenious. It’s amazing no one ever made them before.

    1. Thanks Ned! It seems it is a bit of a slow burner as the closure was revealed four years ago yet these are the first wines in the UK to use it. I think some are questioning whether or not it is really any ‘better’ than screwcap, but like you I think it is an ingeniously simple idea for those who want cork (for whatever reason) and the convenience of a screwcap.

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