Douglas Green Chardonnay 2017 shines at revered Chardonnay du Monde competition for second year running
Douglas Green Chardonnay 2017 has bolstered its considerable awards pedigree by winning a gold medal at the prestigious Chardonnay du Monde competition, which took place from 7 to 9 March 2018 at Château des Ravatys wine estate in Burgundy, France.
With more than 700 entries from 38 countries vying for recognition, Chardonnay du Monde is the world’s premier showcase for this noble variety. It is known for its rigorous judging process and strict quality standards, with 700 international expert judges putting entries through their paces during three days of small-panel tastings. Only 52 of the wines entered this year received gold medals, and the Douglas Green Chardonnay 2017 was one of only 3 South African wines to achieve this feat. Making it even more remarkable is the fact that the 2016 vintage won the same prize at last year’s competition, where it was also named one of the Top 10 wines on show. The 2017 Douglas Green Chardonnay also made a big impression at the recent Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards, where it won a highly coveted double-gold (Gran d’Or) medal.
Douglas Green is one of South Africa’s oldest and most beloved names in wine. Brand founder Douglas Green was a pioneer of the local wine industry who believed in sourcing grapes according to the regions and terroir best suited to each grape variety. Today this is still a guiding principle for the Douglas Green viticultural team. The grapes used to make the Douglas Green Chardonnay 2017, for example, are contracted from vineyards with limestone-rich soils in the Robertson region, an area renowned for yielding top quality Chardonnay. With its stellar track record in recent years, this is certainly a wine that shows that popular success and critical acclaim can go hand in hand.
Low yields marked the 2017 vintage due to the ongoing drought in the Western Cape, which produced grapes with outstanding fruit concentration and depth of flavour. The wine consists of both an unoaked and lightly oaked component and was left on the fine lees for an extended period to gain extra character and complexity before being bottled. It has delicious tropical pineapple and honey melon aromas, which persist beautifully onto the palate, combined with refreshing lemon-lime citrus notes. And while its exceptional purity of fruit and drinkability would undoubtedly have captured the judges’ attention, the bright, balanced acidity should see it age well and develop even more dimension over the next few years.
