NEW RELEASE
2020 Chardonnay Reserve, DeMorgenzon
£135 per 6 bottle case in bond
A wonderful Chardonnay.
Neal Martin - August 2022
I think you would be hard pressed to find a more compelling Chardonnay for this kind of price point. That’s not to say they don’t exist, but they take some finding.
The DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay has been a staple for us at Atlas for a while now. It is a brilliantly crafted wine – Chardonnay is a variety that takes some fashioning. As a winemaker you need to make numerous decisions relating to how you want to handle Chardonnay, whether that be use of oak, type of oak, time in oak, size of oak vessel, lees ageing and so on. Sometimes you taste an affordable Chardonnay and it seems the fruit isn’t capable of handling the oak, or the oak leaves a heavy imprint on the wine and isn’t well integrated. Achieving balance isn’t as easy as it might sound.
What makes DeMorgenzon’s Chardonnay Reserve an absolute standout is that the oak is subtle, beautifully integrated and the fruit has sufficient structure to handle it. The time on lees also aids integration and brings out more complexity in the wine. The oak percentage is actually relatively low, and the type of vessel employed for the ageing varies in size and age to limit impact. This is a series of carefully considered decisions, that all lead to an extraordinarily fine Chardonnay for a mere £135 per 6 bottle case in bond, but it all starts with the quality of the fruit. If you know this wine well, the 2020 is as good as any preceding vintage that I have tasted. And if you don’t know it, it comes highly recommended. It is a style that drinks on release but has the capacity to reward a decade in bottle if well-cellared. It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Well, it is!
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 who recently employed a new winemaker, Alastair Rimmer (former Cellar Master at Kleine Salze), who shares their commitment to subtle and well attuned winemaking, focusing on purity and clearly expressed fruit.
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. 2020 was a cooler vintage for the Cape than the last few hot and dry years, though there were latent stress effects on the vines from a few years of drought, resulting in low yields of concentrated grapes. 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, capable of ageing 10 years.
I have written it before, but 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! And if the category were broadened to include Chardonnay from other origins, there wouldn’t be a ridiculous amount of competition.
Please see Neal Martin’s note below as well as my own.
2020 Chardonnay Reserve, DeMorgenzon
£135 per 6 bottle case in bond
94 points, Neal Martin, vinous.com, August 2022
The 2020 Chardonnay DeMorgenzon Reserve comes from two blocks behind the winery and sees around 30% new oak for around 9 to 10 months on the gross lees with another three months in foudres and used oak/tank. It has an attractive nose with orange blossom, hazelnut and light spicy notes. The palate is very balanced with a lovely texture, a nice "bite" of acidity, taut and fresh with a saline finish that lingers. A wonderful Chardonnay. Drink 2023-2036.
And my note :
The 2020 Chardonnay reserve shows green gold in the glass. With a gentle swirl, you pick up aromas for tangy citrus and stone fruit, mellow notes of toasted nut and freshly baked bread. There is a terrific tension on the palate – the nectarine fruit shows ample richness, but is underscored by a mouth-watering acidity. The core of fruit shows a gently creamy/ gently nutty complexity with a zesty, limey citrus note cutting through to the finish. Long and focused, this really impresses. Drink: now to 2034.
Please click to buy or let us know of your interest. This is such a smart glass of wine.
