Critic ratings
robert_parker
2017
Rating:
92
–92
Yeah! The 2017 Chardonnay begins with a solid nose. Everything that you would hope for in a Chardonnay translates from the nose to the palate—oak tones of cinnamon, followed by fresh-cut apples, lemon blossoms, with a soft nuttiness and toasted brioche. The palate shows a focused balance with a medium to full body. It has depth, texture and breadth along with elegance and finesses and finishes with a long, velvety yet powerful finish. All around, an impressive wine with 17,000 bottles being produced.
robert_parker
2016
Rating:
91
–91
Beginning with an unmistakably Chardonnay nose of yellow apple, sweet lemon, hints of popcorn kernel, baking spices and juicy pear, the 2016 Chardonnay offers up elements of citrus blossom with cinnamon, nutmeg and burnt caramel. Medium-bodied, the wine shows a firm oak line through the mid-palate and an energetic acidity, a creamy mouthfeel with flavors of pastry cream and sweet citrus, before it ends with a long and delightful finish. This begins to act slightly Burgundian-esque but reveals the sense of the New World with its ripe fruit freshness and crisp juicy edge. It's delightful and I look forward to tasting this again in seven years. The wine comes in at 13% alcohol.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
93
–93
The 2015 Chardonnay comes from six parcels on Kevin Grant's estate, fermented in wood with ten months barrel maturation (21% new) with just a small malolactic. The bouquet is complex, the wood neatly embroidered, with subtle aromas of walnut, almond and smoke, slightly Meursault-like in style perhaps. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp acidity, subtle tropical tones of fresh grapefruit, mango and spice. The acidity is very well judged and it feels harmonious and sensual on the long, tender finish. This is excellent and up there with the outstanding 2014 that I tasted on my last visit.
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
90
–90
The 2010 Chardonnay has a wonderful mineral-rich bouquet with notes of apple-blossom, dried apricot and limestone aromas that are beautifully delineated. The palate is very crisp and defined with a stark citric edge that counterpoises the ripe mandarin and dried orange peel notes. It has impressive weight and intensity on the finish although I noticed that it faded slightly with continued aeration. Drink now-2020.
Kevin Grant is the man at the helm of one of Hemel-En-Aarde’s most respected producers.
Importer: Worthwhile Wine Company.
robert_parker
2005
Rating:
86
–86
The maiden 2005 Chardonnay has a ripe honeyed bouquet with mango and touches of tropical fruit that would benefit from more delineation. The palate is well balanced with a waxy texture and hints of orange peel, mango and beeswax that leads to a pleasant caressing finish. I found it more “interesting” than pleasurable. Drink now.
Having put Hamilton Russell on the map, winemaker Kevin Grant departed to establish “Ataraxia” in the idyllic Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Since debuting in 2005 with out-sourced fruit, he has already fashioned some of South Africa’s finest Chardonnays, but he is already enthusiastic about his own fledgling 47-hectares of vine that should debut with the 2011 releases. In the meantime, Kevin showed me debut and recent vintages of portfolio, expounding his philosophy of terroir and mineralite rather than fruit.
Importer: Worthwhile Wine Company, Atlanta, GA; tel. (678) 358-5241
robert_parker
2022
Rating:
91
–91
Made without the use of malolactic fermentation, the 2022 Chardonnay is fresh, vibrant and lively, with a focus on citrus skin and leesy essence. Medium-bodied, the palate is crisp, spicy and softly nutty, with flavors of white spiced tea and green apple skin over a delightfully lingering, food-friendly finish.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
93
–93
The 2014 Chardonnay was raised for nine months in 225-liter French oak, 26% new. The nose is very composed with fine tension. The oak here is nicely assimilated with hints of brioche and hazelnut infusing the citrus fruit and it builds nicely in the glass. The palate is clean and fresh, with honeysuckle and white peach, the acidity nicely judged and the oak lending just the right amount of creaminess on the finish. It's the kind of Chardonnay that just puts a smile on your face. This remains one of the country's best expressions of the variety and is strongly recommended.
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
93
–93
Better is the outstanding 2009 Chardonnay that is sourced from Hemel-en-Aarde and Elgin and aged for 10 months in 225-liter French oak with 34% new (the rest 2nd fill). The nose is beautifully defined with scents of melon, honeysuckle and white peach with just a hint of creme patissiere. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry with subtle almond and hazelnut. It has wonderfully integrated vanilla-tinged oak and a tense, mineral-rich finish that is Corton-Charlemagne in all but name and price. This is one of South Africa’s benchmark Chardonnays. Drink now-2018+
Having put Hamilton Russell on the map, winemaker Kevin Grant departed to establish “Ataraxia” in the idyllic Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Since debuting in 2005 with out-sourced fruit, he has already fashioned some of South Africa’s finest Chardonnays, but he is already enthusiastic about his own fledgling 47-hectares of vine that should debut with the 2011 releases. In the meantime, Kevin showed me debut and recent vintages of portfolio, expounding his philosophy of terroir and mineralite rather than fruit.
Importer: Worthwhile Wine Company, Atlanta, GA; tel. (678) 358-5241
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
91
–91
The 2012 Chardonnay sees 10 months in 225-litre French oak barrel and has wonderful definition on the nose with subtle peach skin and nectarine scent, a little jasmine developing with time. The palate is well-balanced with a citrus-fresh entry, light apricot and peach notes that lead to a harmonious, spice-tinged finish. This is a great Ataraxia Chardonnay that has so much to offer now, one wonders whether it is worth cellaring? Drink now-2017.
Ataraxia is one of Walker Bay’s most prominent wineries. I tend to prefer their Chardonnay’s in the flush of youth rather than letting them age.
No known U.S. importer.
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
92
–92
The 2013 Chardonnay, which comes from shale soils in Bokkeveld and is 100% barrel-fermented in French barriques with fortnightly bâtonnage, has a very refined bouquet with subtle almond and hazelnut lending it a Meursault-like personality (fortunately without the price tag.) The palate is very linear and taut with crisp acidity and fine minerality. There is a fine edginess here, erring more towards Chablis than the Côte de Beaune, toward the fresh and vibrant sea-spray finish. Excellent.
