Chardonnay, Rustenberg, Stellenbosch, ZA, 2021

Winemaker's Notes

The 2021 vintage was produced with the challenges of COVID-19 ever present. The winter of 2020 started late after a warm autumn and was cold with plenty of rain. The cool and wet conditions extended well into spring, through summer and much of the harvest season. The result of these conditions was slow, steady, stress free vineyard growth and fruit development. White grape yields were lower than average due to the impact of the weather during critical stages in fruit development. The white wines from the vintage ripened two weeks later than in 2020 and achieved full ripeness at lower sugar levels; producing wines with lower alcohols, excellent acidity and brilliant flavour development. Yields were higher than average in the reds and the slow ripening season saw excellent flavour and tannin development. These well structured wines with moderate alcohols and good acidity should show plenty of potential to age.

History

Rustenberg is one of South Africa’s oldest and most distinguished wine farms, with a viticultural history dating back to 1682. In 1941, Peter and Pamela Barlow bought the Rustenberg farm, situated in a prime location on the slopes of the Simonsberg. After taking control of the farm operations in 1987, their son Simon ushered in a new era, catapulting the historic estate to the ranks of South Africa’s winemaking elite. The renaissance began with a large scale replanting of the vineyards using virus-free clones imported from France, followed by sweeping renovations to the winery and the hiring of new viticultural and winemaking teams. As Wine Spectator recently observed, "Rustenberg has all the qualifications of a world class wine estate: a long history of winemaking…and ideal terroir, with deep-red, clay-rich granite soils that are located on a variety of slopes and elevations." Rustenberg has achieved tremendous critical and commercial success, and today the celebrated estate’s bottlings are among South Africa’s most iconic and sought-after wines.