The international panel of judges tasted 794 wines
from 40 countries and Durbanville Hills shares the top position with France,
Canada, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Australia and Spain.
Cellar master Martin Moore says the 2012 Rhinofields
Chardonnay is a superb wine and he believes the technique used of rolling the
barrels has contributed to the complexity of the wine.
“We follow a much gentler approach with our
Rhinofields Chardonnay and believe that a Chardonnay should never be
overpowered by wood. To ensure a seamless integration between oak and fruit we
ferment and mature 60 percent of the wine in stainless steel tanks over a
12-month period. The other 40 percent spends the same amount of time in French
oak barrels. We roll these instead of stirring the lees in the conventional
manner.
“We reduce contact with oxygen by not having to remove
the bung, thereby helping to preserve the wine’s delicate aromas and fruit
flavours. The technique has imparted a deliciously creamy texture to the wine
and the result is a full-bodied wine with flavours of zesty citrus, peaches,
dried apricots, cedar, wood spice and almonds. It is one of my favourite wines
to serve with creamy sauce-based dishes, cured ham, salmon and Eisbein.”
White winemaker Gunther Kellerman says the season
brought very little rain making the harvest of 2012 one of the best they’ve had
in years.
“The harvest was small but everything ran smoothly –
the grapes were healthy with concentrated flavours and ready on time as we
predicted. I remember we were quite excited in the cellar, anticipating that
this particular chardonnay was going to produce an exceptional wine, and now we
haven’t been disappointed by receiving this Top 10 award.”
The name of the Rhinofields reserve range refers to
the indigenous Cape Renosterveld of which some species grow close to the
Durbanville Hills cellar. As a member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative
(BWI), Durbanville Hills and its member farms preserve 320 ha of this highly
threatened vegetation.
The 2012 Rhinofields Chardonnay is available from fine wine shops and from the cellar for about R100 per bottle.