Kasteelberg Chardonnay 2014

The Kasteelberg range of wines, celebrates the discovery of Riebeek and the Kasteelberg mountainsin 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinal over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountians, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines. The Kasteelberg range truly is the pinnacle of our Winemakers'art.

Rich and golden with strong tropical aromas, beautifully enhanced by subtle tones of well-integrated oak. Although upfront and bold, the secret of this wine is in its exceptional balance, an outstanding version of the classic Chardonnay.

Pazo de Senorans Seleccion de Anada Albarino is made from 100 percent Albarino. 

Straw yellow with greenish tints, vivid and brilliant. High intensity and very expressive. Profusion of aromas with traces of mineral. Great volume and ample body leaving a lasting impression from beginning to end.

Reviews:

I think the 2014 Albariño Selección de Añada could be the finest vintage of this characterful long-aging Albariño, from a year with a more moderate 13% alcohol and very high acidity (and low pH) that make the wine fresher and more vibrant. It is developing very slowly and showing quite young after it spent over 30 months with lees in 1,500- and 3,000-liter stainless steel tanks. It has a pale color and an elegant nose with notes of freshly cut grass, white flowers and wet granite. The palate is vibrant with effervescent acidity, and it has a long, dry and tasty finish with an austere sensation, far away from the tropical notes of some past vintages. This is superb and should continue developing nicely in bottle. Bravo! It wasn't bottled until April 2023, and 14,000 bottles were produced.

-Wine Advocate 96 Points

Tech:

Our Chardonnay is hand picked then gently whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitterness. The juice is fermented in large puncheons and a mix of neutral and new oak barrels. We age in barrel for a full 12 months with some stirring on the lees after malolactic fermentation. This is our classic take on Chardonnay, one of the original varietals we planted in 1974 and grew for over 20 years.

VINEYARD: Elk Cove Vineyards purchased Goodrich Vineyard in 2014. A 69 acre property planted with 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Goodrich sits just outside the town of Yamhill, Oregon in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Goodrich Vineyard was planted in 2007 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in high-density a format. The property boasts the exact same marine sediment (Willakenzie) soil as our Mount Richmond property and lies just a few miles from our Estate Vineyard in Gaston. This young vineyard has great promise and we were so impressed by the quality of the fruit we decide

WINEMAKING: Our Chardonnay is hand picked then gently whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitterness. The juice is fermented in large puncheons and a mix of neutral and new oak barrels. We age in barrel for a full 12 months with some stirring on the lees after malolactic fermentation. This is our classic take on Chardonnay, one of the original varietals we planted in 1974 and grew for over 20 years. We’re happy to bring this varietal back to the Elk Cove family of wines.

Review:

 “The 2019 Chardonnay Goodrich, from vines planted in the early 2000s, offers layered aromas of yellow apple, meringue, hazelnut, toast and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate is creamy and expansive, its breadth balanced by gently tangy acidity, and it boasts a long, flavorful finish. This is so pretty!” -Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (May 2023) 94 Points

Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay 2014  is made from 100 percent unoaked Chardonnay.

Light yellow with a pale straw hue. A classic nose of lemon, fresh stonefruit and melon. The palate is clean and fresh with mineral characters underpinning ripe pineapple and lime flavours. This wine will age beautifully over the next 4-5 years.

 Winemaking report: Gentle pressing and free run juices create the base of this wine. Traditionally Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay is a 2/3 blend fermented and matured in stainless steel and 1/3 fermented in stainless steel, which receives extended lees contact to add texture and complexity to the palate.

Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.

The Kasteelberg range of wines celebrates the discovery of the Riebeek Valley and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinel over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountains, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines.

Limited release, single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from hand-selected grapes from the foothills of the majestic Kasteelberg Mountain, Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc embodies excellent craftsmanship that transforms the harsh Swartland terroir into the pinnacle of our winemakers’ art.

Once harvested, the grapes are hand-sorted, de-stemmed & crushed into temperature-controlled gravitational drainers. Only the free-run juice is chilled and settled overnight. The juice is then racked off into new, 300 L, oak barrels (50% French oak, 50% Hungarian oak) and wild yeast fermented in the barrels. Fermentation is temperature controlled and lasted around 22 days. The wine is then matured in the oak barrel on the gross lees for 12 months before being racked off, filtered and bottled. After bottling the wine is further bottle-matured for at least 6 months before release.

Kasteelberg Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.

The Kasteelberg range of wines, celebrates the discovery of Riebeek and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinal over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountians, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines. The Kasteelberg range truly is the pinnacle of our Winemakers'art.

Harvested from an exceptional vineyard in the heart of the Swartland, the Kasteelberg Pinotage is characterised as a well-structured wine, offering layers of flavours and aromas. Seductive rich plum flavors with notes of captivating dark chocolate follows through in a smooth and lingering palate of intense flavors integrated with the freshness of ripened cherries.

Grapes used for this wine are coming from vines that are 10 years old in average. It is also sustainable farming used for this plot.

The grapes were cold-soaked for 3 days at 10°C to extract as much color as possible before fermentation. After cold-soaking, the temperature is increased to around 18°C and yeast is added to start fermentation. Regular pump-overs are done to enhance skin contact which improves the flavor and color profiles. Fermentation temperature between 22 - 26°C. Fermented dry on skins, pressed. After malolactic fermentation, wine is transferred to barrels. French oak barrels, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels for 12 months.The grapes were cold-soaked for 3 days at 10°C to extract as much color as possible before fermentation. After cold-soaking, the temperature is increased to around 18°C and yeast is added to start fermentation. Regular pump-overs are done to enhance skin contact which improves the flavor and color profiles. Fermentation temperature between 22 - 26°C. Fermented dry on skins, pressed. After malolactic fermentation, wine is transferred to barrels. French oak barrels, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels for 12 months.