Crystallum The Agnes Chardonnay 2025 - 750ml

Producer History:Crystallum was founded in 2007 by brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson in South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde region. Their father Peter was a pioneer of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at Bouchard Finlayson. Peter-Allan was named Tim Atkin’s South African Winemaker of the Year in 2021. The estate is a leading voice in the New Wave movement, focusing on natural fermentation, site expression and low-intervention winemaking.

Wine Introduction:The Agnes Chardonnay is named after the Finlaysons’ great-grandmother Agnes Floyd, who arrived in South Africa at 14 and is reputed to have been the first woman in Cape Town to hold a driver’s licence. This multi-vineyard blend from Hemel-en-Aarde and Overberg is whole-bunch pressed, naturally fermented and aged for around nine months in French oak barrels and foudres without added SO2 or enzymes prior to fermentation. It captures the precision, minerality and resilience of its cool coastal origins.

Tasting Notes:Nosing: Verbena, greengage, white peach and butterscotch with fresh citrus.Palate: Grippy and lightly chalky with yellow apple, straw and citrus fruit weight.Finish: Pleasingly long with buttered croissant, tart grapefruit-skin acidity and grippy texture.