2018 Reserve Chardonnay, DeMorgenzon
£125 per 6 bottle case in bond
Showing the purity of expression that I have come to expect of DeMorgenzon’s wine, the 2018 Chardonnay offers aromas of ripe stone fruit, peach, nectarine and zesty citrus allied to a subtle hint of background toast. The palate captures a juicy, ripe fruit – completely more-ish with citrus and stone-fruits melding with a leesy, creamy back note. Very expressive already, this beautiful Chardonnay shows fine poise and persistence, with those limey notes reverberating on the finish. Great current drinking and yet with potential for development in bottle; the best of both worlds. Very classy winemaking. Drink – now to 2035. (SL)
95 points, Neal Martin, vinous.com
The 2018 Reserve Chardonnay was hand-picked and whole-bunch-pressed, then matured in French barrels, 30% new and the rest used. It has a stunning bouquet of yellow plum, citrus peel and orange blossom aromas that are seamlessly enmeshed with the oak. The palate is very well balanced, displaying orange zest and quince notes on the entry, a killer line of acidity and a very precise and persistent finish that lingers long in the mouth. I am not sure winemaker Carl van der Merwe has ever made a Chardonnay as good as this. Drink 2021-2040
96 points, Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com
2018 was a very good vintage for Chardonnay in Stellenbosch, as long as you got your picking dates right. Taut, mineral and refined, with subtle, vanilla-scented oak, racy acidity and layers of citrus and stone fruit, this is one of the best Reserve bottlings I`ve had yet from DeMorgenzon. Drink 2019 - 2025
95 points, Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 - Gold Award
Restrained creamed corn and baked yellow apple aromatics. The palate is super juicy, plush and expressive with lots of well-judged sweet vanilla oak and tangy citrus fruit. Very good now and on the way to being better.