Warwick Chardonnay 2011
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Situated on the northern border of the Stellenbosch wine region, along the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, Warwick Wine Estate has a long history of producing some of South Africa's finest and most acclaimed wines.
The classic red wine portfolio is led by two blends, the 'Reserve' and the 'Three Cape Ladies.'
The 'First Lady' range immortalises the legacy and irrepressible personality of Norma Ratcliffe - one of the Cape's first female winemakers who guided Warwick to acclaim since producing the estate’s first wine in 1984. Fondly known now as South Africa's 'First Lady' in the South African wine industry, Norma was an innovator by nature; which she had to be in a male dominated industry and was never scared to be the first at anything. In 1989 she became the first female winemaker to be inducted into the Cape Winemakers Guild and became its first female chairperson in 1993.
Having released award-winning wines vintage after vintage, Warwick was eventually sold to San Francisco-based Eileses Capital in 2017, and CEO Christiane von Arnim – a 'First Lady' in wine in her own right - was entrusted with taking Norma's legacy into the future. JD Pretorius (Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year 2014 and Cape Winemakers’ Guild Member since 2018) joined Warwick as Cellar-master in 2019, heading up the vineyards and cellar and was tasked with translating the wonderful terroir of Warwick Wine estate into wine for the world to enjoy and connect over.
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.