When I started in wine, I used to struggle to see remarkable quality in South African wine. That is not to say that there weren’t good examples available, but it seemed that numerous wines fell short of truly delivering irrefutable quality. So much has changed in the intervening years, the South African wine scene is buzzing with new producers focusing on small vineyards with an attentiveness that can only result in great wines. I find numerous South African whites that impress me now, but perhaps none more so than the Chenin Blanc Reserve and the Chardonnay Reserve from DeMorgenzon. Winemaker Carl Van der Merwe has won the prestigious Platter’s Guide ‘White Wine of the Year’ for two years in a row, once for the Maestro White Blend, and once for the Reserve Chardonnay, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that DeMorgenzon rank so highly in my tastings.
 
The name DeMorgenzon will be familiar to a number of you as we have offered their hugely impressive Chenin Blanc Reserve in several vintages now and it has become firmly established as a favourite amongst Atlas clients and staff alike. I am pleased to draw your attention to their equally impressive 2018 Chardonnay Reserve. This particular vintage represents perhaps the finest Chardonnay to date and given the favourable price, I think it is something of a snip.
 
The DeMorgenzon estate is based in Stellenbosch and was originally part of the Uiterwyk Estate – one of the oldest estates on the Cape dating back to 1679. The name ‘DeMorgenzon’ means ‘the morning sun’ and is so named as it lies in the first section of the Stellenboschkloof Valley to benefit from the sun’s rays, given its altitude (200 to 400 metres above sea level) and aspect. This impressive estate, extending over 55 hectares, is owned by the Applebaum family. Winemaker Carl Van der Merwe says his philosophy is ‘to interfere as little as possible and as much as necessary’. Certainly, part of the success here is that the winemaking is subtle and well attuned so that the fruit is clearly expressed.
 
The fruit for the Reserve Chardonnay comes from vines planted on granite soils mid-way up the valley slopes, where sea breezes provide a cooling influence easing the warm summer temperatures. 2018 was a very dry vintage for the Cape, stressing the vines and resulting in low yields of concentrated grapes. Whilst it was dry, daytime and particularly night-time temperatures were below average, which meant the fruit retained its acidity and more subtle aromatics. Grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed before fermentation in French oak barrels (30% new oak), after which the wine was then aged on its lees for 10 months to add complexity and a richness of texture prior to bottling. The result is a simply stunning Chardonnay, which offers complexity and length in abundance, easily capable of ageing 10 years, or longer if you look at Neal Martin’s recommended drink dates…this really is another absolute knock-out from one of the finest white wine producers in the Western Cape. Perhaps there are other South African Chardonnay that might beat this for sheer quality, but I doubt they will share the same price point! The 2018 Reserve Chardonnay has received no shortage of accolades - you will find these underneath my tasting note below.