2018 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 now functions as a winemaker. Although the family now also makes red wines, chardonnay is still the specialty. The Site is one of this wine estate's special Chardonnay, from a vineyard planted in 1986, way before the chardonnay became so popular worldwide. This results in grapes with a wonderful 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 get them cool. The wine ferments in French oak barrels at a fairly high temperature, between 17 and 20 degrees. This results in a wine with an emphasis on depth and richness. After a barrel aging of 12 months on the lie, with regular stirring, a wine is bottled with a special class. A Burgundian chardonnay, with a lot of character and nice acidity.

In the glass, the wine has a bright straw yellow color with beautiful fresh, elegant aromas of pleasant citrus tones in the nose, wonderfully pure, apple, broad, with a hint of butteriness. In the mouth, this oak-aged wine has a full taste with a lot of finesse and fresh acidity, minerally 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. For son Danie, it was not obvious at first to become a winemaker. In his heart, he actually wanted to be 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, in order 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 plenty of opportunities and planted noble varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. Over the years, De Wetshof has become the most famous producer of Chardonnay in South Africa. 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.