Description
Delaire Graff Banghoek Reserve Chardonnay 2025 is a Stellenbosch white built around ripeness, precision, and a more restrained barrel-aged style. Sourced from select Banghoek vineyards, it brings together ripe orchard fruit and oak-derived texture without tipping into heaviness. This is a Chardonnay that aims for polish and balance, with enough freshness to keep the richer notes in line.
The nose opens with ripe peach and golden apple, followed by vanilla, honeycomb, and a light touch of citrus zest. On the palate, the wine is creamy and well structured, but the absence of malolactic fermentation keeps the fruit bright and the line clean. A fine mineral thread carries the wine through the middle and into a long, refined finish, giving it both shape and persistence. It would pair especially well with roast chicken, creamy seafood, pork dishes, or richer vegetarian plates where its texture and freshness can work naturally with the food.
Already highly appealing, this is a Chardonnay with immediate drinking pleasure, while its balance and acidity suggest it should continue to show well over the near term.
Key Details
The nose opens with ripe peach and golden apple, followed by vanilla, honeycomb, and a light touch of citrus zest. On the palate, the wine is creamy and well structured, but the absence of malolactic fermentation keeps the fruit bright and the line clean. A fine mineral thread carries the wine through the middle and into a long, refined finish, giving it both shape and persistence. It would pair especially well with roast chicken, creamy seafood, pork dishes, or richer vegetarian plates where its texture and freshness can work naturally with the food.
Already highly appealing, this is a Chardonnay with immediate drinking pleasure, while its balance and acidity suggest it should continue to show well over the near term.
Key Details
The grapes underwent extensive bunch sorting as part of the estate’s quality control process before whole-bunch pressing. Fermentation took place in barrel over 14 days, after which the wine matured for 10 months in 225-liter French oak barrels, 40% of them new.
No bâtonnage or malolactic fermentation was carried out, a deliberate choice to preserve freshness, clarity, and mineral definition in the finished wine.
Winemaker : Morne Vrey
No bâtonnage or malolactic fermentation was carried out, a deliberate choice to preserve freshness, clarity, and mineral definition in the finished wine.
Winemaker : Morne Vrey
Set high on the slopes of the Helshoogte Pass, Delaire Graff Estate commands breathtaking views across Stellenbosch’s famed vineyards and mountains. Since acquiring the property in 2003, world-renowned jeweler and philanthropist Laurence Graff has transformed it into one of South Africa’s most iconic destinations.
Today, the estate is celebrated not only for its acclaimed wines, but also for its exceptional art collection, fine dining, and luxurious hospitality - an immersive Cape Winelands experience where elegance and craftsmanship converge.
Today, the estate is celebrated not only for its acclaimed wines, but also for its exceptional art collection, fine dining, and luxurious hospitality - an immersive Cape Winelands experience where elegance and craftsmanship converge.
