Green Flash Sunset Chardonnay

The Earths mantle thrusts up above the gentle town of Franschhoek, a wild slice of untamed mountain on which sits a farm named Wildeberg. An established wine region for some 350 years, sensible generations never thought to plant a vine here until a happy band of idealists recently craned their necks up at this hillside and, dizzy with hope, decided to give it a go. Franschhoek is on the very edge of the south-eastern corner of the Capes venerable Coastal Region, indeed Wildebergs property border runs over the top of the mountain where the Coastal Region gives way to the baboon-strewn road to Grabouw and the wider Western Cape.

The Wildeberg wines express the most captivating Franschhoek Valley fruit. In our Wildeberg Terroirs bottlings we look beyond our home to a clutch of exceptional sites of other origin.

A mountain rich in metaphor with the visual heft to flatter any wine, releases of Wildeberg and Terroirs express our continued purpose " exceptional wines of place, however humble the origin. If the abiding memory of our wines remains a textural sense of place then we are portraying the Cape as hoped.

Wildeberg is a 144ha wine farm set against the backdrop of the dramatic Franschhoek mountains, on the very edge of viticultural possibilities. To farm here you have to be in tune with nature, respecting the earth and the elements, creating wines which truly express the terroir with minimal intervention.

This special area is home to 4 endangered Fynbos species, and a key mission of Wildeberg is to conserve this vegetation type as they are critical to the biodiversity of the Western Cape. This work entails clearing invasive alien trees which can overwhelm the Fynbos and contribute to the threat of forest fires. Fynbos covered mountains like those at Wildeberg are thought to be responsible for delivering one glass of water in five in South Africa, due to the plants allowing up to 80% of rainwater to run off into rivers and reservoirs rather than being absorbed into the soil.
Water is precious in South Africa, and waste water from the winery passes through a natural wetland with indigenous reeds and plants before being pumped into our irrigation dam. We then use this water to irrigate the vines.

All Wildeberg wines are certified as part of South Africas sustainability accreditation, the 'Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) system. The IPW scheme, started in 1998, consists of a set of audited guidelines specifying agricultural practices, manufacturing practices and bottling activities.

Wildeberg is also a proud member of the Capes Old Vine Project (OVP), which preserves blocks of vines which are 35 years and older. The project encourages producers to farm as close to nature as possible whilst raising awareness of the inherent potential of old vines to produce outstanding and expressive wines.

Chardonnay,

Aged in a combination of J&B and Boutes oak to ensure the inherent brightness of this Chardonnay is complemented with broad toasty notes.

A rambunctious expression of Banghoek Chardonnay.

Big & fruit forward backed up by toasty, buttery notes. The acidity on this wine leaves the palate fully refreshed and thirsting for some more! A genuinely impressive wine.

Try with baked fish in a lemon cream sauce.

Nolan - From the Spotlight On French White Wines & Their Global Influences blog

Inspired by the crystalline style of Chablis, the Green Flash Sunset is a collaboration between the fantastic winery of Wildeberg in the Franschhoek Valley, South Africa and their UK importer, Third Floor Wines.

Franschhoek translates to the “French corner”, and it is here that a large number of French Huguenots settled in the 1600’s. The Huguenots were Protestant’s, fleeing religious persecution and finding respite in this zone of South Africa. Being French, they brought with them vines and the knowhow to make the wine that every Frenchman needs flowing though his veins.

Overall, Franschhoek has a warmer continental climate that is perfect for producing big boned, powerful red wines. There are however optimum sites, bathed in shade, that are perfect for white wine production. These sites are hidden away between the nooks and crannies of the surrounding Wemmershoek, Groot Drakenstein and Franschhoek mountain ranges. These cooler sites extend the hang time for grapes to develop a full spectrum of flavours whilst retaining their bright acidity.

The South facing vineyard site selected to produce the Green Flash Sunset is slightly separate from Franschhoek, instead being in the narrow pass of Banghoek, just round the Hottentots–Holland Mountain. Banghoek gets it name from ‘De Bange Hoek’ meaning ‘Scary Corner’, it was named this because of the terrifying heights of the mountain peaks. Here we have both shade and altitude moderating the temperature which is all important for producing bright whites.

The feel of this wine is very much Chablis-esque, you can clearly see the inspiration, poised, fresh, zippy and elegant. The flavours however are a mile away from Chablis, instead of the flowers and the green apple, here you have peach and pineapple complimenting more of a rocky herb garden, all backed up by a light toastiness.

This will work with richer food such as pork chops and salsa verde or with prawns and pineapple salsa.