2021 Lismore Chardonnay Reserve 'completely blew us away'

Drinking at peak, a South African gem

We offer a lot of wines en primeur, so it's great to light on parcels of mature wine that are drinking perfectly. We originally offered the 2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve a couple of years ago, and a few customers wisely squirrelled some away. Jabu and Andrew have both been drinking theirs, and five years from vintage, it's stunning, as energetic and exciting as a smart Chassagne-Montrachet. We've confirmed another parcel of the same vintage to ship from South Africa this autumn, and when we offered it down email last week, we discovered we're not the only people who love it, with customer David C. (quoted above) immediately sticking his hand up for more.

To recap, in the early 2000s, Californian Samantha O'Keefe embarked on a new life in South Africa. She chose to plant vines in Greyton. At the time, the nearest vineyards were 50km away. But she spotted that Greyton is an unusually cool area by South African standards. It sees snow in winter and the cooling Cape Doctor wind through the growing season, making it ideal territory for Burgundy varieties.

2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve was made entirely from unirrigated estate fruit. This source was a Corton-Charlemagne clone Sam planted in the early days, when (she now laughs) she didn't really know what she was doing; but the results speak for themselves. The wine was raised in 500-litre French oak barrels, a third of which were new. While it was tense and energetic when it was first released, time has seen it blossom expansively. It's not too late to take advantage of our pre-shipment offer, so treat yourself to some of the Cape's finest Chardonnay, beautifully matured. /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines available Winter 2026/2027.To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998