Vergelegen (South Africa) Chardonnay 2005
I’ve been a big fan of Vergelegen for many, many years, and had a chance to visit their beautiful estate in Somerset West in 2002. The model has always been to make a small range of very high quality wines, and this Chardonnay – now with three years of bottle age behind it – is a bit of a star. Don’t come here if you are not a fan of oak however, because although this wine is endowed with matching fruit and acidity that easily hold their own, it is powerful, toasty oak amd malolactic yeastiness that dominates the nose, with toasted oats and some burnt orange, marmalade fruit. On the palate this has a nice balance of power and racy quality, with a cool core of lemony acidity and rich, creamy fruit. £8.79, Averys, Majestic, Henderson Wines
