Now, it may be hard to believe that the 2010 Cluver Chardonnay is actually both richer (indeed much richer) and finer (with less prominent new oak and a pH of only 3.18) than the all-everything, World-beating 2009. After all, that wine was a Parker 92, Tanzer 93, Jancis Robinson 18/20, Decanter 18.5/20, top wine ever at the Old Mutual Wine Trophy Show with a 96-point average score, winner of the Five Nations Wine Challenge…in short, the most successful Chardonnay at such a low price ever.
But this 2010 is better.
And it’s mainly better because of its incredibly low yields. Cluver in fact owns over 15 hectares of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in Elgin, South Africa’s coolest growing region. Even in a place like Meursault, 15 hectares of Chardonnay would produce at least 7000 cases of wine. But in 2010, Cluver made only 2750.
So yes, the acidity is higher, and the wine is in an even finer, less leesy style. (Cluver now rolls the barrels instead of stirring the lees to preserve its
pristine freshness.) But it’s absolutely stuffed this year with rich, layered, even almost honied and delicious fruit.
Decanter Magazine, by the way, just awarded this its top 5-star rating…the first, I’m sure, of many, many critical raves and awards to follow. Cluver, after all, is the new Chardonnay paradigm…and this 2010 is the most paradigmatic Cluver Chardonnay to date.
I can’t resist quoting (part of) what one of our most knowledgeable customers wrote about this:
“the kind of rich that makes you want to swirl the wine around your palate so the actual experience is prolonged…this wine’s structure and integrity show in its firm acidity, softening middle palate and long, simmering farewell…recalls the heft and multifaceted delights of great Burgundies…this stunner delivers more than anyone should reasonably expect. This is no simple wine and at this price is a steal.”
And in fact, ours is the lowest price ANYWHERE!