Franschhoek, the unspoken yet glorious food and wine capital of South Africa, you’ve done it again. La Petite Ferme is a magical boutique winery whose vintages are more than a match for its resplendent views; and to round out their wine repertoire, they have just released their exclusive Barrel Fermented Chardonnay.

By Roxy Greeff

Available only from the winery itself, the La Petite Ferme Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2016 rediscovers excellence with its complex, but perfectly balanced, taste. It boasts notes of burnt butter and roasted almonds as a result of the wine’s generous exposure to the barrel wood. You can also expect flavours of fresh ripe pineapple and green apple on the palate.

‘Our 2016 Chardonnay takes a different path then previous vintages,’ says Wikus Pretorius, La Petite Ferme’s resident winemaker. ‘Fruit for the 2016 vintage is a combination of our estate grown vineyards and grapes from Elim (Agulhas) which is more coastal.’

What makes Pretorius particularly pleased with the turnout, is that despite long exposure to the wood, the wine is perfectly balanced with a delicate freshness. ‘The result is a wine that is equally at home by itself or with food,’ he says.

If you want a taste, you can order a glass from the estate’s stunning restaurant. It is particularly well paired with their braised leg of rabbit served with a mustard apple sauce, baby vegetables, dried apple and sweet potato puree, available on both their lunch and dinner menus. It also partners well with their wild mushrooms with cauliflower truffle puree, pearl barley, pecorino cheese and garlic crumbs, as well as the whole smoked trout with lemon-chive hummus, roasted beetroot, horseradish crème fraiche and baby fennel salad.

THE DETAILS
Where: R45, Franschhoek
Price: R200 per bottle
Reservations: 021 876 3016 , reception@lapetiteferme.co.za
Website: lapetiteferme.co.za <Hyperlink: http://www.lapetiteferme.co.za/>

FOLLOW THEM
Facebook: @LaPetiteFermeFranschhoek
Twitter: @la_petiteferme
Instagram: @la_petiteferme