2023 Baroness Nadine Chardonnay

The Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons 2023 Cape Coast Baroness Nadine Chardonnay is a 50-50 blend of fruit from Elgin, with iron-rich koffie klip, and Stellenbosch, with its decomposed granite. The destination of origin is Cape Coast. This wine shows a silky and smooth character, with orchard fruit, preserved lemon and crème fraîche, and there is a salty element of marine breeze. I also get a hint of toasted nut or roasted almond. The wine ages in 300-liter barrel and foudre, with about 30% new oak. Elgin fruit brings in the freshness, and the "Stelly" fruit adds roundness. The wine is on allocation, with most of the production already sold by the time I visited the estate.