Our Wine of the Week is one that makes all senses come to life. This week, we’d like to present to you Stellenzicht Acheulean Chardonnay 2023.
Stellenzicht’s vineyards and winery is located on the slopes of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch. As custodians of the beautiful farm, the team believes in protecting their natural resources through sustainable farming. These efforts help create an eco-system that protects their fauna and flora. This philosophy of sustainability drives their daily activities, as they consistently pursue balance.
You can taste their wines at the Wine Pod, Stellenzicht’s unique tasting room. It was designed to bring nature into the structure. Because of this, when you are enjoying a glass of elegant Stellenzicht wine and a delicious pizza, you will feel as if you are miles away from the city (although you are only 5km away from town). The Acheulean Range – consisting of Acheulean Red and Chardonnay – is Stellenzicht’s flagship wine range. It is named after a defining era in human development.
What’s the significance of Acheulean for Stellenzicht?
Acheulean is a period within the Stone Age where humans not only used sharp objects, but started crafting their own tools. As Stellenzicht was preparing the soils to replant the vineyards, the team picked up some strange looking rocks that turned out to be Acheulean hand-axes.
This discovery of the hand-axes was made even more significant with a title deed relating to the property dating back to the 1800s where it stated that the property was “not good for crop, only cattle. Too many rocks.” It was at that moment when the team realised that the soil and terroir they were standing on with these rocks is the true history and heritage of the property.
About Stellenzicht Acheulean Chardonnay 2023
One of the special things about Acheulean Chardonnay is that Stellenzicht uses amphora pots to ferment it. The amphorae highlight the farm’s terroir by being used as storage vessels in the process of vinification, aging, and fermentation.
To make the Stellenzicht Acheulean Chardonnay, the Chardonnay grapes are hand harvested in the morning and whole bunches are pressed while the cold juice goes to the tank to settle. After 24 hours of settling, the juice is racked to amphora pots and oak barrels for fermentation. After fermentation is complete, the vessels are topped and all wine is left on the lees for up to 12 months. The tanks are then racked off the lees just before bottling to make up the final blend.
All the senses come to life with the finely curated, amphora-fermented Acheulean Chardonnay. The nose is driven by fresh stone fruit and citrus, with hints of apricot. The zesty minerality and acidity is imparted by amphora clay vessels. The palate is elegant and dry with flavours of stone fruit and citrus. It is light on the finish. Stellenzicht Acheulean Chardonnay 2023 pairs well with food like pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna, etc.), and vegetarian.
Wine estate name: Stellenzicht Vineyards
Location: Stellenbosch, Western Cape
In Collaboration with: wine.co.za
