First of South Africa’s champion white wines in 2024
GLEN CARLOU has been a Chardonnay and Cabernet specialist since 1988. As they put it at the cellar on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Paarl, the conversation is led by ‘Quartz Stone Chardonnay’ and ‘Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon’ – two naturally-fermented, single-vineyard delights, which at the time of writing were on offer from the farm for R420pb and R530pb respectively. In 2024, however, their first accolade of the year was thanks to a more modestly priced wine, with the 2023 vintage detailed below impressing the panel of judges at the Chardonnay du Monde competition in France – to the extent that of over 500 entries from around the world it was ranked No. 1 from South Africa and among the Top 10 overall.
GLEN CARLOU CHARDONNAY 2023
WO Simonsberg-Paarl. Fifteen trellised vineyard sites 10 to 12 years old. Grapes hand-harvested in batches and the wine barrel-fermented and -matured on the lees (spent yeast) separately according to the batches prior to blending – 25% in first-fill barrels, 25% second-fill, 25% third-fill and 25% fourth-fill, the 225L toasted barrels assembled from water-bent French oak staves.
ALC 13.5 | RS 4.0 | TA 5.8 | pH 3.4
Winemaker Johnnie Calitz’s Tasting Notes: generous lemon-citrus aromas, almonds, green apple, delicate pear and melon notes; crisp fruit acidity, finely-grained tannins, soft oak spice and floral undertones.
R190pb ex-cellar, Paarl.
