Bouchard Finlayson Chardonnay Kaaimansgat 2023 - Bouchard Finlayson

Goes well with fried porcini mushrooms on bruschetta, freshly cooked West Coast Rock Lobster Tail in lemon aioli or simply in good company.

The Kaaimansgat winery or Crocodile's Lair is tucked away in a beautiful valley, nestled in majestic mountains, just 80 km from Hermanus. Bouchard Finlayson has been directly associated with this vineyard for more than thirty vintages. It is 700 m above sea level, matures a month later than other Cape Chardonnays and benefits enormously from the cool autumn temperatures. The name of the vineyard is shrouded in mystery. According to tradition, runaway slaves from nearby Franschoek settled here under the leadership of 'Kwaaiman. ' The harvest of Crocodile's Lair from this vintage was remarkable - not only because of the size, but above all because of the perfect condition of the grapes and the ideal ripeness and quality, which do not meet the usual standards. There was a gradual conversion to larger 350 liter oak barrels, which emphasized the purity of the fruit more and slowed down the development of the wine somewhat. As usual, battonage, i.e. no stirring up the yeast, is practiced, although the wine remains on the fermentation yeast until the barrels are emptied and blended. The wine aged for 7 months in French oak with 21% new barrels.

Allergy information: Contains sulfites