De Wetshof Chardonnay Limestone Hill 2023

Robertson, South Africa 

Wine Advocate 91 points! James Suckling 90 points! 

De Wetshof Chardonnay Limestone Hill is a beautiful unoaked Chardonnay from the De Wet family estate in Robertson.  The De Wet family history can be traced back to 1694 when the first De Wets landed on the Cape of South Africa. By the early 1800's, the De Wets owed vineyards in the Robertson area and in 1972, De Wetshof became the first registered estate winery in the valley. The estate is owned by winemaker Danie de Wet, a graduate of Geisenheim, the wine institute in Germany. While he was a student in Europe, the wines of Burgundy captured his imagination, especially Chardonnay. After returning home Danie did exhaustive tests before planting carefully selected Chardonnay clones and rootstocks, becoming one of the first wineries in South Africa to do so.  Each vineyard on the estate has a different soil composition, leading to unique expressions in each wine. The soils in Robertson Valley, comprised of limestone and gravel, produce flinty, full-bodied Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The estate vineyards closer to the Breede River Valley are planted on limestone and clay soils and lend structure and depth to the wines. 

“The 2023 Limestone Hill Chardonnay is expressive and energetic in the glass, beginning with squeaky clean citrus and lemon aromas. Medium-bodied with a compact frame, the palate offers a fresh and vibrant facility that sways with flavors of yellow apple and Meyer lemon before concluding with a zesty, citrus-laced finish. Slightly under a quarter million bottles were produced.”—Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 91 points! 

Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow this Chardonnay to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. An un-wooded wine, Limestone Hill has notes of grapefruit and nuts, with the complexity balanced by a nuanced elegance ending with a delicate ripeness. 

De Wetshof Chardonnay Limestone Hill would pair nicely with roast chicken, lobster, mushroom risotto or a slice of Camembert.