92 points, Wine Enthusiast
|
92 points, The Tasting Panel
|
90+ points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
|
90 points, Wine Spectator
|
About the Wine
Critic Reviews
92 points, The Tasting Panel
92 points, Wine Enthusiast
90+ points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
90+ points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
90 points, Wine Spectator
“Fresh, bright citrus nose; silky and crisp with pure, tangy citrus and smooth, juicy style; balanced, exuberant and long.”
92 points, Wine Enthusiast
“Beautifully precise aromas of orange rind, crisp yellow apple, soft toast and delicate wood spice dance on the bouquet of this lovely Chardonnay. The palate is focused and pure, with ample ripe fruit that is framed by bright, supportive acidity and a pronounced mineral impression that unfolds on the long, evolving close alongside a kiss of saline.”
90+ points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
“Pale straw colored, the 2019 Chardonnay opens with aromas of lemon pastry cream, hints of marshmallow and soft baking spice essences in the glass. Medium-bodied, the wine offers flavors of beeswax, citrus blossom, yellow apple and Myer lemon on the palate along with succulent acidity and ends with a soft spiciness and lingering notions of lemon seed and cinnamon. Half of the wine spent six months in amphora and the other half in François Frères French oak. The 2019 marks the start of their newest bottling, which shows a lovely, food-driven wine that makes me crave shellfish. 3,564 bottles produced.”
90+ points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
“Pale straw colored, the 2019 Chardonnay opens with aromas of lemon pastry cream, hints of marshmallow and soft baking spice essences in the glass. Medium-bodied, the wine offers flavors of beeswax, citrus blossom, yellow apple and Myer lemon on the palate along with succulent acidity and ends with a soft spiciness and lingering notions of lemon seed and cinnamon. Half of the wine spent six months in amphora and the other half in François Frères French oak. The 2019 marks the start of their newest bottling, which shows a lovely, food-driven wine that makes me crave shellfish. 3,564 bottles produced.”
90 points, Wine Spectator
“A vibrant, light- to medium-bodied white, with sleek acidity creating a mouthwatering frame for flavors of green fig, blood orange, matchstick and a rich hint of hazelnut, ending with a creamy, mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2025.”
About The Winery
Berene Sauls has exceeded all expectations with Tesselaarsdal. In more than one respect, Tesselaarsdaal is a breakthrough. Formerly employed by Hamilton Russell Estates and mentored by Anthony Hamilton Russell, not only is the first wine project for Berene, but importantly it is the first wine project wholly-owned by a member of a 'previously disadvantaged community' in the Hemel-en-Aarde area and, indeed, the Overstrand. The wine is named after the historic rural hamlet Tesselaarsdal, not far from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, where Berene was born. It was at Tesselaarsdal where Berene's ancestors once lived as freed slaves on land bequeathed to them in 1810 by former East India Company Settler, Johannes Tesselaar. The naming of her first wine appropriately honors her roots. Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue the legacy of the Sauls and the Tesselaarsdal farm.
