Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2020
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Wilfred
Wong -
James
Suckling
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Estate Reserve Chardonnay has floral aromas with baked apple, singed citrus rind, and toasted chestnuts. A harmony of apple notes, citrus, heather and spiced cinnamon butter are on the palate, all supported by a vivid mineral acidity. The flavors of short crust pastry and toasted fruit linger to a mouthwatering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay offers an engaging and satisfying experience. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of ripe peaches and oak with a hint of creaminess. Pair it with pan-fried Petrale sole. (Tasted: May 15, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Grilled pineapple, peach, smoked almond, salted butter and toast on the nose. Some desiccated coconut too. It’s full-bodied with a dense, creamy palate. Sustainable. Drink now.
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Located on the southern slopes of the Simonsberg, Glenelly is owned by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, Bordeaux doyenne and former owner of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Struck by the tremendous potential of South Africa's terroir and the beauty of the country, Mme de Lencquesaing decided to embark on a French adventure on African soil. She purchased Glenelly in 2003, and subsequently planted 66 of the property's 128 hectares to vineyards. The first estate-grown fruit came on line in 2007, and Glenelly's state-of-the-art winery building was completed in 2009. The wines are fermented naturally and made with as little intervention as possible, seeking to achieve the perfect balance of French style and South African terroir.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.