2022 De Wetshof Estate The Site Chardonnay

Danie de Wet is one of the trendsetters in South African chardonnay. Danie has now passed on much of his work to his two sons, Johann and Peter. Peter currently serves as winemaker. Although the family now also makes red wines, chardonnay is still the specialty. The Site is one of those special chardonnays from this wine estate, from a vineyard planted in 1986, long before the moment when chardonnay became so popular worldwide. This produces grapes with beautiful depth and concentration. The subsoil is very rich in lime, from which the wine derives its beautiful acidity . The grapes are picked in the early morning to keep them cool. The wine ferments in French oak barrels at a fairly high temperature, between 17 and 20 degrees. This creates a wine with an emphasis on depth and richness. After barrel maturation of 12 months on the lees, with regular stirring, a wine of special class is bottled. A Burgundian chardonnay, with lots of character and beautiful acidity.

In the glass the wine has a bright straw yellow color with beautiful fresh, elegant aromas of pleasant citrus notes in the nose, wonderfully pure, apple, broad, with a touch of butteriness. On the palate, this oak-matured wine has a full flavor with lots of finesse and fresh acidity, mineral and exciting, apple, nice length. The Chardonnay 'The Site' is a powerful, dry white wine.

The Wetshof Estate is located in the Robertson wine region, approximately 160 kilometers from Cape Town. Johann de Wet, the father of the current owner of De Wethof Estate, Danie, laid the foundation for the domain as it is today in 1952. It was not initially obvious for son Danie to become a winemaker. In his heart he actually wanted to become a veterinarian. His father persuaded him to go into wine, because he saw the future of the farm in it. He convinced his son by promising him that he could study in Geisenheim, Germany, to broaden his horizons in Europe. In 1972, upon his return, De Wetshof became the first private cellar in Robertson, separate from the local cooperative. Danie saw many possibilities and planted noble varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. This led to De Wetshof becoming the most famous producer of Chardonnay in South Africa over the years. Under the leadership of Danie de Wet, De Wetshof has grown into one of the leading wine companies in South Africa. It measures no less than 200 hectares, planted with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot and Pinot Noir.