Springfield Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay 2020

The family-run Springfield Estate is located in the mountain-ringed Robertson Valley in the Western Cape. The Bruwer family are fourth-generation wine farmers and ninth-generation descendants of the Bruères, French Huguenots who came to South Africa from the Loire in 1688 with bundles of vines under their arms. The farm has been in the family since 1898 and is currently run by Abrie and his sister, Jeanette Bruwer. Today, using a combination of sometimes risky winemaking techniques, traditional methods and modern technology, along with a sense of practicality and dogged determination borne from living off the land all their lives, the Bruwer family is able to handcraft wine true to its motto: Made on Honour.

There are many different types of soil on the estate – some areas are very rocky, consisting of about 70% quartz rock. Others areas are rich in lime, with soil similar to that found in Burgundy and Sancerre. Sandy loam soil can, in turn, be found near the banks of the Breede River. By recognizing these differences in terroir they are able to make complex, terroir-driven wines from site specific vineyards. In the old days, the vineyards were planted in a north to south direction. Today, whole blocks of vineyards have been re-aligned and vines are planted in an east to west direction to ensure more even ripening, maximize protection against the scorching sun and optimize the effect of a cool south-easterly breeze.

Springfield Estate Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay is in the ancient style of Burgundy, rarely is this technique with wild yeast and no fining/filtration used in the new world. Thus, a wine of distinctive and classical character, it will develop slowly and is made to last.