Shannon Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2022

Shannon Vineyards sits in the Elgin ward of the Western Cape south coast, one of South Africa's coolest sites, and the Oscar Browne is its flagship Chardonnay. Elgin is a high plateau ringed by mountains and open to cold air off the Atlantic, so the growing season is long and slow, ripening the fruit gently and holding onto bright, natural acidity. The soils are weathered shale and sandstone, poor and well-drained, which keeps yields low and concentration high. The wine is fermented and aged for eleven months in French oak barrels. Barrel fermentation integrates the oak and, together with time on the lees, builds a rounded, creamy texture; a partial malolactic conversion can soften the sharper malic acidity into softer lactic notes while keeping the wine fresh. The colour is bright straw. The nose shows fresh citrus, mandarin and white peach, with toasted almond, subtle vanilla and a struck-match minerality from the cool site. The palate is precise and dry, the oak sitting behind the fruit, with a long, saline finish. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a white Burgundy glass.