The Wetshof Lesca Chardonnay

This bright, straw-yellow wine is one of winemaker Danie de Wet's favorites. It's no wonder he named it after his wife. The Lesca Chardonnay uses clones that give it a distinct citrus character. Planted in the late 1980s, these clones are now mature enough to produce wines with depth. It matures in barrel for just three months, resulting in a wine that excels in finesse and subtlety. Chardonnay at its finest. The De Wetshof Estate is located in the Robertson wine region, approximately 160 kilometers from Cape Town. Johann de Wet, father of Danie, the current owner of the De Wetshof Estate, laid the foundation for the estate as it is today in 1952. The Robertson Valley is characterized by cold winters and sunny summers with an average annual rainfall of 400 millimeters. In summer, a fresh southern breeze has a cooling effect on the vineyards, allowing the grapes to ripen evenly and in perfect balance. Nights are cool and during the summer months a mist often shrouds the vineyards until late in the morning.

The harvest of the Lesca Chardonnay

The grapes are harvested in the cool of the morning. The focus is on capturing the beautiful, rich complexities, nutty flavors, and pronounced citrus finish. This gives the wines a unique character. After destemming, pressing, and overnight settling are complete, the juice is removed from the sediment and transferred to French oak barrels specially selected by Monsieur Christian Radoux. The selected French oak enhances the nutty and citrus aromas that emerge from the vineyard's chalky soil.

Wood aging for the De Wetshof Lesca Chardonnay

After barrel fermentation, the wine remains on the lees under controlled temperatures. Weekly stirring of the lees ensures maximum flavor release. A few months later, the wines are removed from the lees and returned to the barrels for the completion of barrel aging, with bottling commencing once the wine meets the winemaking team's strict quality standards. This process results in a beautiful Chardonnay with a powerful aroma of butter and banana, richness, breadth, beautiful oak, and a pleasant, fresh citrus note, smoky and complex, with delicious white fruit. A powerful, broad palate with great depth and intensity, juicy and fresh, with beautiful citrus fruit, the oak present only in the background.