Cape Chardonnay celebrated

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Hess Family Wine Estate’s Glen Carlou recently celebrated 25 years of Chardonnay which prompted some reflection as I recalled an American’s enticement years ago to try his Sauvignon as it was “made in a Chardonnay style”.  His urging now has an ironic truth about it as Sauvignon – and to a lesser extent Riesling – have paved the path for modern Chardonnay.

Chardonnay has emerged from many misadventures, one was outliving the ‘Anything but Chardonnay’ or ‘ABC’ catchphrase – its catchiness probably one of the reasons it gained traction – another was too much richness, the latter more among trade than consumers.

While never far from vogue in its various incarnations, Chardonnay has in fact always been under attack,  and its again making a strong comeback with some surprising side effects – white Burgundy is wavering* and no longer producing the most interesting Chardonnay but rather in the new world including the Cape, Australia and Chile.

Glen Carlou’s first winemaker Walter Finlayson became one of theCape’s Chardonnay pioneers along with De Wetshof, Simonsig, Backsberg and Blaauwklippen. Walter travelled toCaliforniaafter winning the Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year in the early 80s and was inspired by the ripe, generously oaked Californian Chardonnays like Far Niente.

Information on the Cape’s early clones is fuzzy, but by the mid 80s the focus appears to be onDavis(Californian) clones which could make richer, riper styles with an affinity for new oak. The trend toward less ripeness and restrained oaking saw more lower-yieldingDijon(Burgundian) clones being planted.

While Glen Carlou’s mid-range Chardonnay – a riper, oaked style – has grown steadily over the years from a few thousand litres to 14 000 cases, their new unoaked Chardonnay is generating lots of excitement. This is where my American colleague might have said ‘taste my Chardonnay, it’s made in a Sauvignon style’ and has joined producers like Jordan, De Wetshof and Groote Post sans barrique.

In one of the purest expressions of site possible, winemaker Arco Laarman has made the unoaked Chardonnay in egg-shaped Nomblot concrete fermenters. While this could be regarded as a manipulation – Chardonnay is after all one of the most malleable grapes – one has to have the courage to do nothing as Burgundian René Lafon said some 30 years ago.

This food-friendly wine was launched with little fanfare in their restaurant and cellar door and it quickly found a following. More Nomblot eggs were ordered to accommodate the consumer demand and new listings. Like Sauvignon, it has primary fruit aromas, lively acidity, no oak and a leaner palate – the traditional image no longer holds true.

CapeChardonnayplantings (2011) stood at 8092ha yielding around 76 000t. Since 1984, 9 555ha were planted and 3 171 uprooted which suggests that some 1700ha was replanted to Chardonnay with a recent preference for CY55.

*The premature oxidation crisis combined with fewer age worthy wines and little or no progress Vs redBurgundyhas led an argument that whiteBurgundyis suffering an identity crisis.

– Jonathan Snashall