Springfield Estate is a family-run winery. The Bruwer family is in its fourth generation. Their ancestors were Huguenots who fled to the Cape in the 17th century. The vineyards are planted 50% with white and 50% with red varieties. Abrie Bruwer strives to produce small quantities of top-quality wines and therefore operates under the motto "From grape to bottle, with care and passion." His wines are made with minimal intervention in the vineyard and impress with an incredible variety of flavors.
The soil on which the Chardonnay vines grow is stony and calcareous. The climate is temperate in summer, with warm days and cooler nights. It is cold in winter. The vines average 25 years old. At harvest time, the grapes are rigorously selected, and the yield per hectare is limited to only around 4 tons. The harvest for this Chardonnay begins in early February. True to its name, wild yeast Chardonnay is fermented using the indigenous wild yeasts that naturally occur on the grape skins. It is fermented without wood in underground cement tanks in a slow, volatile process that can take between 6 and 9 months. This method, though risky, results in incredibly expressive wine with a wisdom unattainable in wines made with commercial yeasts. The wine is then aged for a further 13 months in steel tanks before being released for sale.
The Springfield Wild Yeast Chardonnay shines golden yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. The long wait is finally rewarded with a Chardonnay with a delightful aroma of pineapple and pear candy. Vanilla, nuts, fresh fruit, and complexity. On the palate, this Wild Yeast Chardonnay Springfield is broad, complex, powerful, and rich, but also offers some freshness, nuts, vanilla, pineapple, and a touch of lime.
