Chardonnay 2025 - Single

Features

Description

Beeslaar Chardonnay 2025 is Abrie Beeslaars polished, restrained take on Chardonnay, a wine that uses oak for texture and complexity without turning into the buttery, heavily wooded style that gave Chardonnay a bit of an image problem in the first place. Fruit is sourced from selected Western Cape vineyards planted on shale and decomposed granite soils.

Beeslaar works across several sites, with vineyard selection determined by the quality of each vintage. The combination is deliberate: shale contributes weight and richness, while the granitic sites bring freshness and refinement. The 2025 growing season delivered good winter rainfall followed by relatively mild, dry conditions.

Cool and windy weather during flowering reduced the eventual crop, while the mild summer helped retain fresh acidity and clear varietal character. The grapes were hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed, with the juice settled for 48 hours before fermentation in French oak. The wine then spent 12 months on its lees in French oak barrels, with just 15% new oak.

The result is a Chardonnay with texture and depth, but importantly, plenty of freshness. Tasting Notes Colour: Clear, bright pale gold. Nose: Layered aromas of citrus zest, dried peach and white stone fruit, with subtle vanilla, oak spice and gentle buttery notes. As the wine opens, a delicate orange-blossom character emerges.

Palate: Fresh and beautifully balanced. White peach and mandarin provide the fruit, while bright lime zest and integrated acidity keep everything energetic. There's good weight and texture from the lees maturation, but it never becomes broad or excessively rich. Finish: Long, clean and citrus-driven, with lingering stone fruit, lime and subtle oak spice.

Technical Details Producer: Beeslaar WinesWinemaker: Abrie BeeslaarVintage: 2025Origin: Western Cape, South AfricaGrape Variety: 100% ChardonnayVine Age: 1419 yearsSoils: Shale & decomposed graniteIrrigation: Supplementary drip irrigationYield: 68 tonnes/haHarvest: Hand harvestedPressing: Whole-bunch pressedSettling: 48 hoursFermentation: French oak barrelsMaturation: 12 months on the lees in French oakNew Oak: 15%ABV: 13,5%Residual Sugar: 2.8g/LTotal Acidity: 6.1g/LpH: 3.45Ageing Potential: 56 years from vintageBottle Size: 750ml