Did you know that this grape variety is a relative newcomer to South Africa? Its first commercial plantings date back only to the 1980s! By 1990, it represented 1.5% of South Africa’s wines, and now it accounts for a little more than 6,500 ha.

What a display of stile, from MCC (Methode Cape Classique – traditional method sparkling wine) to reductive, hyperoxidative (black Chardonnay), to oak aged and even single-clone expressions (vinified in the same way, same vineyard, but different clone), to some really, really aged ones dating back to 1994.

Point proven! Chardonnay can produce exceptional results even outside Burgundy. Some of the best outside of Burgundy!