Capensis Western Cape Chardonnay

The winemaking team gently guides the wine through fermentation and barrel aging. Immediately after hand harvesting, whole clusters are pressed in an enclosed membrane press. After the juice is allowed to settle for 24 to 36 hours, it is inoculated with selected yeast strains and fermented in small French oak barrels or at 65°F in stainless steel tanks. For this wine, 40 percent was fermented in new French oak, with the balance in neutral oak. All the wine is aged on the lees and is hand-stirred monthly throughout 10 months of aging to soften the texture.