Donovan Rall has been crafting Callendar Peak wine in the Witzenberg Valley for a number of years, guiding the viticulture and refining the vinification with the charateristic flair for which he has become well known.
Production
100% fruit from the unique Ceres Plateau appelation. 2 vineyards, one called "Kliptuin" which translates to "stone garden". This is the site the first vines were planted on the farm and another called "rivierblok" with more sandy soils. Very long cold winters and cooler than normal ripenng periods causes these grapes up in the mountains to ripen atleast a month or in some years up to 2months later than regions like stellenbosch. winemaking is kept as basic as possible. Whole bunch pressed to tank to settle overnight without any additions and racked to second and third fill french barriques the next day. Spontaneous fermentation can last up to 6 months. Full malolactic if the wine wants to and after 10 months on the lees the first racking takes place when the wine is blended and returned to barrel for anoher 2 months before bottling with minimal filtration.
Callender Peak Chardonnay, Ceres Plateau 2022 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
The nose shows notes of vanilla, toast and some exotic pineapple and lemon nuances. The palate is broad, textured and leesy with hints of honeycomb and some yellow citrus. The acidity is piercing due to no malolactic fermentation in this vintage and gives great focus and backbone to a wine as textured as this.
Food match
Match with grilled prawns, fresh crayfish and other hearty seafood dishes
Info
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ABV
14%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
CERES PLATEAU, SOUTH AFRICA
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GRAPE
CHARDONNAY 100%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
DONOVAN RALL
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND MILK
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Meet the producer
You know when something feels ‘just right’… you can’t explain it… it just ‘IS’? Well, that’s how we feel about Donovan Rall who we think is simply one of the biggest talents in South Africa! The towering talent of this itinerant winemaker started out with his own wines back in 2008 after touring/working for a variety of wineries in Europe and Australasia. We were so blown away with his Vuurberg blends, that we partnered up with him for a couple of our own projects! Like Boutinot, Donovan is always on the lookout for amazing fruit that he can craft into something even more amazing; wines from old forgotten vineyards or isolated sites that are full of character, charm and flavour. Donovan trained with Eben Sadie and Miles Mossop before doing his own thing - creating wonderfully honest and natural wines that punch way above their weight.
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