Mellasat Chardonnay 2017

On the farm Dekkersvlei in Klein Drakenstein near Paarl at 254 meters above sea level.

Vine Age: 12 Years
Soil: Decomposed Granite
Average Yield: 5.53 tonnes per hectare
Irrigation: The vines are trellised with drip irrigation

Average of 4rd fill 300li French oak barrels for eleven months.

The grapes were pressed by pneumatic bag press and juice settlement undertaken for 2 days. The must was then transferred to 300li French (average fourth fill) oak barrels. Yeast (Laffort VL3) was inoculated then fermented for approximately 28 days at an average temperature of 17 degrees C. Malolactic fermentation was partially encouraged in barrel after the alcoholic fermentation and the lees stirred (batonnage). A bentonite and PVPP fining was used to protein stabilise and clarify the wine prior to bottling.

No filtering of the wine was undertaken except at bottling when a medium filtration (split AF70/110) was undertaken.