Christian Eedes Chardonnay Report 2014: Top 10 wines

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Colyn Truter | 21 October 2014
Christian,
Maybe time to also include an unwooded category?? You cant keep all producers happy if you only select 60 wines, but the 60 that you select is interesting. I don’t think this list is representative of the best 60 Chardonnay in SA…
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Christian | 21 October 2014
Hi Colyn,
Re “Unwooded Chardonnay”, I think these are mainly being made as a substitute for Sauvignon Blanc – forward fruit but not quite the same searing acidity – and while many are good everyday drinking, I generally find them short of real complexity.
Re your comment that the wines featured are not the best 60 in the country, I try to put the line-up together in such a way that while all producers invited have some sort of credentials when it comes to Chardonnay, we also get to explore terroir. You will notice wines included originate from Stellenbosch, Elgin, the wards of Hemel–en-Aarde Robertson, Franschhoek and one or two even further afield. I’d be interested to know who you consider a glaring omission…
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Greg Sherwood MW | 18 October 2014
I suppose its important to remember that 99% of consumers will buy these wines to drink on purchase. If the are advised to keep the wine… for 3 to 5 years plus… then presumably the will stick it on the rack in their garage. As we all know, this is not ideal storage and will age the wines prematurely. The pristine examples us in the trade taste ex-cellar or out of a proper cellar… are not the norm. But, I think certain producers, like Chamonix, should have broader drinking windows due to their proven track record.
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Tim James | 17 October 2014
I do wonder at the drinking windows you give to these fine wines. Five years from the date of vintage seems to be a rule you apply nearly invariably, whatever the particular wine. Yet take Chamonix for example, which has been around a long time and has a proven track record of often ageing and developing superbly for ten years – and more. But you advise drinkers to open their bottles between now and 2018. On what basis, I wonder, have you decided this? If it’s a general thumbsuck rule you apply to all the wines, and you’re not making specific judgements on the basis of anything useful, it might be better to simply omit giving this advice which, if it’s followed will lead to many of these fine chardonnays being drunk before they’ve reached their peak. I think we generally need to advise drinkers to wait, rather than encourage them to infanticide! (It seems a plausible if not compelling Top Ten.)
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Christian Eedes | 17 October 2014
Hi Tim, We have this perennial discussion. All I can say is rather a year too early than a day too late. In a similar vein, I’d rather be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed when it comes to ageing wine…
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