2020 Boekenhoutskloof Cap Maritime Chardonnay

The Cap Maritime Chardonnay from Boekenhoutskloof has beautiful aromas of oak, citrus, ripe yellow fruit, mandarin peel, melon and a light spiciness. The wine is medium to full bodied on the palate and there is a nice balance between ripeness and freshness and you can taste green apple, citrus fruit and a tingling saltiness. It ends with a pleasant long finish. It is a very well made Chardonnay in a South African Cool climate which will not look out of place in a Burgundy blind tasting. 90/100 Parker and only 4,500 bottles were made of this Burgundy from Heaven and Earth

The wine is made by pressing the whole bunches and fermenting with the naturally occurring yeasts, 70% in oak barrels and 30% in concrete eggs (the latter part is not fermented malolactic).

Boekenhoutskloof is a high-profile winery in Franschhoek that is particularly impressive in terms of quality. Boekenhoutskloof, despite its somewhat unusual African name for the 'French' Franschhoek, was founded three centuries ago by French Huguenots. The current winemaker Marc Kent also still has something with France. He visits it at least once a year to find new inspiration in the northern Rhône, Cornas. In 2020 Boekenhoutskloof was voted the best winery in South Africa by Platter

Fun fact: On the head of the capsule you will find an image of a slender dam. This is the figurehead of Boekenhoutskloof and is an adaptation of an early silver mark from the Cape of Good Hope and she bears the dove of peace and hope. It guards the Boekenhoutskloof and stands for intrinsic quality that stands above all else.

Tim Atkin - 93 points (2018)
Jancis Robinson - 16.5 points (2018)
Platter's - ****(*) (2018)

Over Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Boekenhoutskloof is located in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. It is about twenty kilometers from Hermanus, the coastal town on Walker Bay that is also known as the 'whale capital' of South Africa. The Atlantic Ocean not only ensures that the whales float around here with pleasure, it also brings with it an ideal climate for viticulture. It is warm, but it rarely gets warmer than thirty degrees in the growing season. This is due to the fresh sea breeze and the fact that the vineyards are slightly higher than most vineyards in the area. The grapes get the chance to ripen optimally, but retain their fresh acidity thanks to the cool nights. The soil also plays an important role in this. The vineyards have a clay-derived slate soil called Bokkeveld. It prevents water stress and makes the vines less vigorous, which in turn contributes to the slow ripening of the grapes (due to the slow release of groundwater).