Description
Bartinney Chardonnay 2024 is a full-bodied Stellenbosch white shaped by ripe fruit, careful barrel work, and the estate’s long association with the variety. Chardonnay was the first cultivar planted at Bartinney in 1990, and this wine reflects a style that favors generosity and texture while keeping the fruit clearly defined.
The nose opens with lemon curd and pomelo-like citrus. On the palate, ripe fruit leads into marmalade, almond biscotti, and pink pear, supported by a broad, smooth texture from barrel fermentation and maturation. The oak remains restrained, adding shape rather than overt toast or smoke, while a linear structure carries the wine through a long, generous finish. It would pair well with roast chicken, grilled fish, creamy seafood dishes, or pork served with fruit-based sauces.
This is a substantial Chardonnay that is expressive now, but its structure and balance should allow it to develop further over the next several years.
The nose opens with lemon curd and pomelo-like citrus. On the palate, ripe fruit leads into marmalade, almond biscotti, and pink pear, supported by a broad, smooth texture from barrel fermentation and maturation. The oak remains restrained, adding shape rather than overt toast or smoke, while a linear structure carries the wine through a long, generous finish. It would pair well with roast chicken, grilled fish, creamy seafood dishes, or pork served with fruit-based sauces.
This is a substantial Chardonnay that is expressive now, but its structure and balance should allow it to develop further over the next several years.
The growing season for the 2023 harvest will be remembered for the hot and dry weather followed by cold and wet periods, starting at the end of January, that persisted to the end of the season, well into autumn. These unfortunate climatic conditions influenced vineyards differently, depending on their location and cultivar type. Diligent vineyard management was paramount to ensure that the vineyards stayed protected and ripened the grapes sufficiently.
The warm, dryish winter resulted in earlier than usual budbreak and flowering. The steady weather pattern continued into veraison across all the cultivars. Chardonnay vineyards flourish in very cold winter conditions, so the warmer winter caused
uneven budding and a smaller than usual Chardonnay crop. Luckily, Chardonnay was not affected by the rainy weather, starting in the second half of the growing season, so grapes ripened easily, producing flavorful fruit from which full-bodied, rich wines were made.
The grapes were harvested in separate batches at full ripeness, then crushed and settled for two days before the juice was transferred to 225L oak barrels. The barrel selection included up to 34% new oak, using very lightly toasted, extra-tight-grain barrels to limit smoky or overtly toasted flavors. After fermentation, a portion of the wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine matured in barrel for approximately 11 months before being racked, blended, and bottled.
Winemaker: Ronell Wiid
The warm, dryish winter resulted in earlier than usual budbreak and flowering. The steady weather pattern continued into veraison across all the cultivars. Chardonnay vineyards flourish in very cold winter conditions, so the warmer winter caused
uneven budding and a smaller than usual Chardonnay crop. Luckily, Chardonnay was not affected by the rainy weather, starting in the second half of the growing season, so grapes ripened easily, producing flavorful fruit from which full-bodied, rich wines were made.
The grapes were harvested in separate batches at full ripeness, then crushed and settled for two days before the juice was transferred to 225L oak barrels. The barrel selection included up to 34% new oak, using very lightly toasted, extra-tight-grain barrels to limit smoky or overtly toasted flavors. After fermentation, a portion of the wine underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine matured in barrel for approximately 11 months before being racked, blended, and bottled.
Winemaker: Ronell Wiid
Bartinney Private Cellar is set on the dramatic slopes of the Botmaskop alongside the Helshoogte Pass overlooking the picturesque Banhoek Valley in Stellenbosch.
Established in 1912, Bartinney has been in the Jordaan family since 1953. Now Rose and Michael Jordaan tend to the 28-hectare farm, with a vision to create excellent wines and reawaken the charm of the historic land. Creating excellence in wine has not been a singular pursuit. Their belief is that every aspect must work in harmony: agriculture with nature, people with animals, sustainability with excellence.
Established in 1912, Bartinney has been in the Jordaan family since 1953. Now Rose and Michael Jordaan tend to the 28-hectare farm, with a vision to create excellent wines and reawaken the charm of the historic land. Creating excellence in wine has not been a singular pursuit. Their belief is that every aspect must work in harmony: agriculture with nature, people with animals, sustainability with excellence.
