De Grendel Chardonnay 2020 (12x 750mL) Sth Africa

Winemaking at De Grendel is a careful balance between science and art.

The meticulous care of the vineyards allows the grapes to express the environment in which they are grown and their distinctive varietal character. Careful harvesting and gentle handling in the cellar, combined with the winemaker's passionate practice of their craft, carry the wines throughout the journey from fruit into wine.

The state of the art winery is respectful of the age-old traditions of winemaking yet firmly and uncompromisingly modern in technological advancements, a perfect marriage of old and new.

The De Grendel cellar sits majestically elevated on the fynbos-covered slopes of the Tygerberg with a postcard-perfect panorama of Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town.

It was built in accord with its surroundings, with tones of sand and slate combining both traditional and contemporary materials. Although modern in design, it references the colonial architecture of the main house, with its deep shaded stoep and big arched windows to take in the views, sea breezes and the views of the dam below.  

The late Sir David Graaff consulted with renowned Johannesburg-based geomancer, Ying-Chung Tsai, to ensure that the building was located in an auspicious position.

Geomancy encourages us to build in optimum harmony with the elements. Feng Shui has been used for thousands of years and actually uses a lot of common sense in terms of design and position. 

– Sir David Graaff

The building is designed around the practical considerations of both the process of winemaking, and the experience of wine tasting. A ramp leads you from the tasting room into the belly of the building, through different layers and levels and to the glass-roomed restaurant on the floor below where the breathtaking Table Mountain vistas open up. 

De Grendel is not a terroir winemaker, preferring to blend wines from different regions to create our award-winning wines. Our grapes are harvested from two principal vineyards.Tygerberg

The slopes of the Tygerberg, which face the setting sun, offer cooling breezes off the cold Antarctic Benguela current from the Atlantic Ocean only 7 kilometres away.

The breezes alleviate the summer heat allowing De Grendel’s grapes to hang for longer before they reach their perfect ripeness. Longer hang time means better colour and flavour in our wines.

This climate, combined with a soil combination of blue shale, glen rosa and oak leaf is perfect for cultivating Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.

Witzenberg

The Graaffs have been farming near Ceres for generations, and recognised that the Witzenberg mountains, almost a kilometre above sea level, were the perfect cold climate to allow the grapes to hang for longer - perfect for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

This vintage of “Op die Berg” Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will be the first from the newly-created appellation of Ceres Plateau.