If you like your Chardonnays big, bold, and wooded then at Travel Concepts we are perhaps not your best people to ask for advise on what to choose. They are a bit too heavy for us. But the good news is that in South Africa we also make some excellent unwooded chardonnays and we absolutely love these.
When a couple from our sister company Wedding Concepts asked us to recommend some unwooded options for their big day, we gave them five of our favourites:
Constantia Uitsig Unwooded Chardonnay 2009:
This unwooded Chardonnay shows a complexity of varietal aromas and citrus flavours with a well balanced palate and a subtle nuttiness on the finish.
Jordan Unoaked Chardonnay 2009:
Fresh limey-citrus and floral aromas with underlying tropical fruit and winter melon flavours.Rich, full palate with a long, well balanced leesy finish.
Diemersdal Unwooded Chardonnay 2009:
This fashionable wine balances concentrated spicy aromas with fresh fruit flavours. The nose is elegant, with the richness of the fruit enhanced by apple and sweet melon aromas. With nuances of lime on the palate, this is a delicious, flavourful wine, with a creamy taste and a lingering aftertaste.
Glenwood Unwooded Chardonnay 2009:
The 2009 vintage of Glenwood’s Unwooded Chardonnay shows intense layers of citrus with a subtle note of green apple on the finish. Excellent as an elegant aperitif or with sushi, Mediterranean and Thai dishes.
Kloovenberg Unwooded Chardonnay 2008:
Beautifully integrated flavours of pineapple and marmalade with a delicate straw colour, add a touch of tradition to this unoaked Chardonnay. The palate follows through with elegant apricot flavours, balanced with subtle lime for an uncomplicated wine, polished and poised in true Kloovenburg style.
