The Chardonnay Association of South Africa is a re-born organisation with the aim to market Chardonnay internationally, and in this tasting held at High Timber in May 2025 we pitted 23 South African Chardonnays against 12 international Chardonnays. How did the tasting work? We tasted a pair of wines blind and then there was a reveal, and this repeated a number of times until we’d done all the wines.
These are my notes and scores as written blind, with some supplementary details about the wines added later.
We started with a sparkling flight and then it was blind all the way.
This was an interesting set of wines. There were some famous South African names missing, but the ones that were included all did well. The consistency of quality was amazing. And it’s clear from my scores that at least I thought that the South African Chardonnays were completely in their peer group, showing really well. This is undoubtedly a strong category for South Africa.
Hidden Springs Blanc de Blancs 2018 Sussex, England
This is made by a South African winemaker. Bright and lively with lovely citrus fruit and nice energy. Has good acidity with very subtle toast and nice acid line. Some noticeable dosage adds balance. 91/100
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2019 Roberston, South Africa
Compact and bright with nice acidity and a lovely pure line of citrus fruit. Has some sour cherry in the mix. Nice complexity here with a juicy finish. Good acidity. Very stylish. 93/100
Haut Cabrière Chardonnay Reserve 2023 Franschhoek, South Africa
12.5% alcohol. This is supple and lively with good acidity. Nice concentration of citrus fruit with some stony, mineral character. Textured and restrained with nice intensity. Very stylish, in a cooler-climate style. 94/100
Groote Poste Pinch of Salt Chardonnay 2024 Darling, South Africa
Lively peach, pineapple and citrus fruit. Quite bold with good energy. Some tropical richness: quite neon in character with lovely ripe fruit, and a touch of spiciness in the background. Classy with a long, spice-laden finish, in a modern style. 92/100
Journey’s End Destination Chardonnay 2023 Stellenbosch, South Africa
14% alcohol. 15% new oak. Complex and layered with rich toast, peach and spice as well as some crystalline citrus fruit. This is bold, broad, peachy and spicy. Very rich and quite delicious. 94/100
Murdoch Hill Chardonnay 2021 Adelaide Hills, Australia
15% new oak. Lively and energetic but with some depth. Compact peach and spice here with nice tastiness. Lively with some pineapple brightness, finishing with a nice bitter twist. Tangy and alert. 93/100
Iona Monopole Elgin Highlands Chardonnay 2023 Elgin, South Africa
15% new oak. From Kloof. Powerful and lively but showing nice balance. Lovely citrus drive with some stony, salty character and a touch of mealiness. Good acidity here with some brightness. This is very stylish, finishing stony. 94/100
Kruger Family Wines Sutherland Chardonnay 2023 Karoo, South Africa
From 1500 m. Fermented in clay amphora and a concrete egg. Supple and elegant with nice peach, pear and citrus fruit, showing some saltiness and a bit of stoniness. Supple and juicy with a lovely acid line. Has the richer, more tropical notes but also keen acidity, finishing long with a slight bitter twist. 94/100
To read the full article, click HERE.
Not for sale to persons under the age of 18. Enjoy Responsibly.