The 2025 Chardonnay is made from five different vineyards across Stellenbosch, with fruit selected from six individual blocks to provide a range of flavors and textures. The grapes were handpicked at sugars ranging from 22° to 25° Balling, with each component harvested at its optimal ripeness. The wine was barrel fermented separately, using a combination of selected yeast strains and natural yeasts, with approximately 30% allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. During maturation, the wine was stirred once in barrel to create a creamy, harmonious balance between wood and fruit. It spent 10 months in French oak, comprising 10% new Allier oak, 35% second-fill and 45% third-fill barrels, with the remaining 10% matured in concrete eggs. Following blending, the wine was fined with bentonite and Vegecol, making it vegan-friendly, before crossflow filtration and bottling under screwcap.

David Finlayson needs no introduction when it comes to Chardonnay. It has long been one of his favorite varieties to work with, and his experience with the grape now spans more than three decades. The 2025 vintage was cool and dry, producing a smaller crop that ripened under exceptionally healthy conditions. As with previous vintages, the wine displays elegant minerality alongside lime-citrus, sourdough and cinnamon, with floral notes of frangipani and almond blossom. A firm mineral core provides freshness and aging potential. The style continues to show similarities to Burgundy, particularly the Côte de Nuits, while retaining a subtle New World generosity of fruit. Above all, the focus remains on producing an elegant, balanced Chardonnay that is equally enjoyable on its own or at the table.