2021 Glenelly Glass Collection, Unwooded Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This is is an unoaked chardonnay, which means that it is exclusively fermented in stainless steel vats at a low temperature. It has bright and brilliant colour with a slight green hue. The wine has complex aromas of citrus, lychee and pear, well blended with subtle ginger and honey, On the palate, there is a beautiful round, comforting texture with wonderful length and intense fruit complexity and a zesty lime and lemon notes. 

Glenelly Estate owes its success to the rich history of the estate, dating back to 1682 when Simon van der Stel ceded the land to a French Huguenot, Francois Villion. This, combined with May de Lencquesaing’s family legacy of centuries in the wine industry, has made Glenelly a wine estate of note.

In 2003, at the age of 78, May de Lencquesaing, then owner of the famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, Bordeaux, purchased the estate, part of the original Ida’s Valley farm, granted in 1682 by Simon van der Stel. With a nod to the French Huguenot settlers 300 years before, she set about planting vines to replace the existing fruit trees, realising her vision of establishing a thriving winery that best utilises the soils and microclimate of the valley and supports local economic development and the community. Thus, Glenelly Estate was reborn.