Seeing Stars – for years!

Sterhuis Vertical

There are no reason for words beyond Chardonnay vertical. Happiest human on earth.

WHITE:

• Chardonnay (2004): 1^st vintage from the farm, 5 bottles remaining, 100% new oak. Drunk orange blossoms, grapefruit marmalade, dark chocolate baked orange, orange honey, Granny in a wine, delicious & sweet but ballsy. (*****)

• Chardonnay (2006): Char-grilled peaches, cheese biscuits with apricot jam, caramelized jam, baked white peaches, tangy honey, slightly overbaked rusks. (**)

• Chardonnay (2008): 50% new oak, ½ malolacticc ferment.  Salted butterscotch, bicarby honeycomb, fresh, grainy, limey, baked buttered lime, sharp.

• Chardonnay (2009): 60% new oak. Dried apricot & rye, lemon Super C’s, gossamer fizz, pithy sherbet, pretty but cheeky, litchi-tizer. (**)

• Chardonnay (2010): 40% new oak, 30% 2^nd fill, 30% 3^rd fill. Fresh & sharp, jasmine, orange blossom honey, buttery honey cake, sugar syrup, floral, sweethearts (***)

• Chardonnay (2011): 40% new oak. Litchi jelly, fizzy lemon sherbet, lemon meringue sherbet, sugared pith, orange marmalade cotton candy, needs to age. (***)

• Chardonnay (2012): 40% new oak. Sugared grapefruit, honey-glazed grapefruit, syrup marmalade, sticky sweetness, needs age. (**)

Notes:

• Tagline translates to “there’s no easy way from the earth to the stars”
• “How much Chardonnay is grown on the farm? Not enough!”
• Lawnmower = Burgundy tractor
• 2010 – 2012 – used traditional Burgundy method for oaking
• 2009 Chardonnay – “Stand back, I don’t know how big it’s going to get”
• Soil in Western Cape is older than that of many regions in France
• Combination of yeasts in wines give complexity
• 2004 – 2009 – library stock