Wine Composition
100% Chardonnay
Winemakers Comments
Bright golden-green hues, with forthcoming aromas of lemon peel, limes and orange citrus zest, supported by subtle whiffs of brioche. The acidity is well integrated, with an explosion of lime and lemon fruit on the mid palate. The limestone-rich soils in which the vineyard grows, bring forth a flinty, mineral and saline edge to the lengthy finish.
Awards
New Release
Technical Analysis
WINE OF ORIGIN: Onder-Duiwenhoksriver – Cape South Coast,
AGE OF VINES: 10 years
IRRIGATION: Supplemental/drip
SOIL TYPE: Limestone and chalk
PRODUCTION VOLUME: 1092 x 750ml
AGEING POTENTIAL: 6 to 8 years from vintage
Winemaker
Name - Martin Smith
Winery
Martin Smith is his family’s third-generation winemaker. After completing his studies at the Elsenburg Agricultural College outside Stellenbosch, he moved abroad and worked in California for ten years, honing his skills in the production of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Upon his return, he was appointed as the winemaker for one of South Africa’s biggest luxury wine brands, Vilafonté, before starting Paserene Wines in Franschhoek where he is still the co-owner and winemaker. His wife Welma’s studies were followed by a trip to another “holy grail” of winemaking, France, where she pursued her dreams of becoming a sommelier at the World Sommelier Academy of Bordeaux. Forever the student of wine, she is also currently enrolled for her WSET Diploma.
Their mutual love for Chardonnay and Bordeaux-type red varieties was one of the main catalysts that eventually brought them together, as both varieties complement the various paths, work experiences and education they have chosen. They are the custodians and first-generation winemakers of Atlas Swift, and with that comes an immense responsibility that they carry on their shoulders, just like Atlas, the Titan of old.
The Smiths gracefully accept this responsibility, and together with their love for South African soil, they are determined and committed to producing wines of the highest caliber.”