2023 Atlas Swift Shelter Chardonnay

Atlas Swift is the winery where the premium wines of Martin & Welma Smith from Franschhoek are produced. Martin is the winemaker and became known through his work for Pasarene. Their specialty is terroir-driven wines, and this is also the reference to Atlas Swift, which refers to the different maps, or terroirs, where the vines grow. The Shelter Chardonnay is a true terroir wine, meaning that the soil, location, but certainly also the climatic conditions of a specific vintage determine the wine, and (fortunately) there is no attempt to turn them into mass-produced wines.

The Altas Swift Shelter Chardonnay comes from small vineyards located in the Cape South Coast, Cederberg, Robertson and Wellington, and underwent 12 months of aging in (partially used) French oak following the harvest. This Shelter has aromas of ripe citrus fruits, orange, and citrus chill. On the palate, luscious flavors of grapefruit and hazelnuts, with a bright acidity complementing the creamy vanilla flavors. Flavors of freshly baked brioche and yeasty notes in the long finish.

FUN FACT: In the Attachments tab, you will find the official factsheet for this fine wine. We will automatically send it to you with an order of this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you come to pick it up, you will also receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" on the Checkout page. We are located almost next to the main road with ample parking. Click here for our address.

About Atlas Swift

ATLAS: In Greek mythology, Atlas sided with the Titans when they fought against the Olympians during the Titanomachy, a series of battles between these two generations that lasted ten years. When the Titans were defeated, many of them were imprisoned in Tartarus, a deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment and as a prison for the Titans. However, Zeus, the leader of the Olympians and the god of thunder and the sky, condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of the earth and hold the heavens on his shoulders forever. A common misconception today is that Atlas was forced to hold the earth on his shoulders, but in classical art, one can see Atlas holding celestial bodies, not the globe. This was reinforced in the 16th century by the developing use of 'atlas' to describe a corpus of earthly maps. For Atlas Swift, the use of the word Atlas is an ode to the Titan of perseverance. We also see that the responsibility rests on our shoulders to protect the character of the land in which the grapes grow. Atlas is also a reference to the different maps, or terroirs, where our vineyards grow.

SWIFT: Swifts are part of a family of high-flying birds called Apodidae and are among the fastest birds in the world. Martin & Welma Smith’s wine journey can be compared to that of a swift – although they may not always propel us at the speed of light (making good wine requires patience), they are constantly on the move, exploring the many atlases of the Cape Winelands and its diverse terroirs.

In 2019, Martin & Welma Smith's dreams became reality when the first vintage of Atlas Swift was born. All our wines are vinified in the same way, with the only difference being the origin of the grapes, and are produced in very limited quantities due to the restrictions of their provenance.