The view of critics and buyers in the United Kingdom – London – is that, of the New World wine producing countries, South Africa is the most innovative and exciting said Steven Spurrier at the Celebration of Chardonnay hosted by De Wetshof in Robertson recently.
While that is a sentiment and opinion heard more and more frequently by locals, Spurrier backed it up: “I have viewed that (innovation and excitement) over the space of two hours with just one grape variety.”
In his opening address Spurrier, famous for having engineered the groundbreaking 1976 ‘Judgment of Paris’ which placed American wines ahead of their French equivalents, paraphrased Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn who described Chardonnay as “the chicken of the wine world”. He said winemakers can write on it and make their own unique version or expression of the wine – but it was also important where the chicken came from and how it was prepared.
Four years ago Andrew Jefford was the guest speaker at this same event and Spurrier referenced the eloquent writer and credited him for stating that great Chardonnay should have Tension, Energy, Precision and Focus.
“I believe our youngsters – the current or next generation – can achieve the heights we as winemakers only dreamed of,” said Neil Ellis who belongs to the generation of producers who saw Chardonnay introduced to South African soils just a few short decades ago.
Ellis was the last man to speak, following colleagues such as Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson, Jan Boland Coetzee of Vriesenhof who spoke movingly of the greatest Chardonnays of the world and his dreams that South Africa could one day produce wines to rival them, Simon Barlow of Rustenberg who recounted nighttime raids on vines at Nooitgedacht while working with Desiderius Pongracz, Anthony Hamilton-Russell of Hamilton Russell Vineyards and the gracious host and ultimate Chardonnay-phile, Danie de Wet whose De Wetshof has an enviable reputation with this chameleon grape, producing five vastly different expressions.
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