Beautifully mature: 2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve

'A fantastic Chardonnay that performs like a baby Burgundy' (now coming of age)

Over the last decade or so, Lismore Estate has become a bellwether for where Cape winemaking is at. The wines of Samantha O'Keefe 'habitually reach the apex of Cape wine', according to Neal Martin, and the star of her range is invariably the Chardonnay Estate Reserve. So, we're delighted to have acquired a back vintage parcel of 2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve, now wonderfully ready to drink and shipping direct from South Africa this autumn.

In the early 2000s when Samantha bought an abandoned dairy in Greyton, the nearest vineyards were 50km away. What she'd spotted was 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. Other winemakers followed where Samantha pioneered, and Greyton is now classified as a South African Wine of Origin.

In 2019, a bushfire destroyed the Lismore winery. Samantha came close to losing her life. Less determined characters might have walked away, but Samantha rebuilt and replanted. Her 2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve is made entirely from unirrigated estate fruit. It was raised in 500-litre French oak barrels, a third of which were new. (That proportion was a little higher than Samantha might have liked, but in the wake of the fire she didn't have too many barrels to choose from). While it was tense and energetic when it was first released, with a few years in bottle it has blossomed, and is now approaching its drinking peak. /NT

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