Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay

The Springfield Méthode Ancienne (Old Method), as the name suggests, is made in the style of old Burgundy. In the so-called new world of wine, fermentation is rare, meaning only by means of yeasts, which are naturally present in the cellar air, and without fines or filtration. With this "back to the roots" method, Springfield succeeds in creating a wine with a typically classic Burgundian character.

The Burgundian style of Springfield

The company belongs to the Bruwer family, the fourth generation of producers and the ninth generation of French Huguenots who arrived in South Africa with vines from the Loire Valley in 1688. Taking into account the unique characteristics of the rocky soils of the Robertson Valley, the Bruwer family succeeded in fully expressing the terroir with grapes of the highest quality and vinifying their wines in a Burgundian style. Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay is obtained from vineyards over 25 years old. These vines grow in chalky soils and limestone formations, and the total yield is 2.5 tons per hectare. Traditional viticulture is practiced, and the harvest takes place at night to preserve freshness until it reaches the cellar. Once there, the Springfield Ancienne Chardonnay grapes ferment for 55 days without contact with the skins or wild yeasts. It is then aged for twelve months in 600-liter French oak barrels; 50 percent in new barrels and the other 50 percent in second-year barrels. Once the wine is ready, it is bottled unfiltered and without stabilization.

Enjoy Springfield's Chardonnay

In the glass, the Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay presents itself in a bright greenish-yellow. The bouquet is enticingly scented with peach, caramel, vanilla, and apricot. Wonderfully broad and seductive, with a pleasantly fresh citrus note. The wine is noticeably mineral on the palate and displays a juicy, full fruitiness. A wine that is perfectly balanced. What a rich glass of wine this Method Ancienne Chardonnay Springfield is.