Elgin Ridge Chaos White 2018
By Christian Eedes, 31 May 2019
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Force of nature.
Consumers of unwooded Sauvignon Blanc are, as we all know, price sensitive. How then are cellars to fetch a premium for this variety? Elgin Ridge do this by combining Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon, using some skin contact in the vinfication process before maturation in predominantly older oak and then giving the resulting wine a proprietary name, to wit Chaos White.
The 2018, a blend of 68% Sauvignon Blanc and 32% Semillon, has a super-complex nose with top notes of elderflower and dried herbs before lemon, orange and ginger. The palate has good fruit concentration, tangy acidity and a lovely silky texture – while the 2017 was eye-catching, this has even more refinement about it. Price: R350 per 500ml bottle.
Editor’s rating: 94/100.
Find our South African wine ratings database here.
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Tom | 31 May 2019
… and it looks super cool on the shelf and in hand, in my opinion.
Hennie | 31 May 2019
Any idea why the smaller format is used?
Christian Eedes | 31 May 2019
From Marion Smith of Elgin Ridge:
A couple of reasons.
1. The 50cl bottle is ideal for a single person when dining alone.
2. We will be releasing a Chaos Red so when a couple want to have a premium red & white wine they do not have to purchase two full-size bottles.
Hennie | 31 May 2019
Well I suppose that makes sense in some way. I prefer a magnum when I am dining alone.