THE WINES OF KEVIN GRANT - Chardonnay Earthborn Organic 2020 - Ataraxia - South-Africa

THE WINES OF KEVIN GRANT - Chardonnay Earthborn Organic - Ataraxia (Heaven and Earth Valley) - South Africa - 2020

Ataraxia: a short distance from the coastal town of Hermanus lies the Heaven and Earth Valley and the claim is justified. The Ataraxia estate sits on an extraordinary heavenly piece of land below a tower-high mountain peak of the Babylon Tower. Besides its unrelenting beauty, Ataraxia is home to some of the most spectacular terroirs South Africa has to offer.

The vineyards, with their proximity to the South Atlantic Ocean, elevated plantings and predominantly south-facing (cool) slopes create the ideal for growing cooler and climate-friendly grapes.

Ataraxia is Greek for "a serene state of mind, free from worry and preoccupation" - a state of mind that winemaker Kevin Grant and his wife Hanli hope guests enjoy while visiting the estate or enjoying their wines.

Four wines make up Ataraxia's range: an unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, a wood-aged Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and a red blend called Serenity (consisting of Pinotage and Pinot Noir).

Tim Atkin: 95 points

Winemaker’s Notes

This vin de terroir is made from our maiden vintage of organic grapes grown on Ataraxia. It represents a journey of conversion to organic principles started 5 years ago. It is doubly unique in that it has been made using the same BLACK method used to produce the Ataraxia Chardonnay 2020. The science behind this method is that the more oxygen the must absorbs, the less oxygen is consumed by the wine, which then has much more resistance against oxidative degradation (yellowing) during aging. It is part of our quest to accurately and authentically express the very soul of our terroir, our space.
Spontaneous and complete barrel fermentation with no additions, and subsequent ageing in specially selected French oak barrels sourced exclusively from Burgundian coopers, comprised part of a gentle, minimalist, non- interventionist winemaking approach employed after the excessive and induced “bludgeoning” that the black method entails. In this way we have crafted a what we believe is the most authentic wine interpretation of our terroir to date, A terroir we believe ideally suited to Chardonnay.

Wine style