Glen Carlou 2019 Harvest Report
The 2019 Glen Carlou harvest officially came to an end on the 5th of April and we are celebrating a beautiful season. Bin after bin our excitement has only grown and with the last grapes finally in, we can hardly contain it – what a fantastic vintage to look forward to.
As always it requires incredible teamwork, passion and grit to get the grapes in the cellar under optimal conditions and at just the right time. The dedication, long hours endured and the never-failing enthusiasm of the team is admired and certainly plays a key role in the success of the season.
As with all high notes, some lows are expected and the season – especially the after-effects of the drought, has certainly played its hand. Water restrictions, heat wave conditions, strong winds and days of rain played a significant role in the final harvest outcome and grape quality. With the South African wine industry reporting significantly lower yields than years before, we are thankful to report an abundant harvest.
Our viticulturist, Marius Cloete, says that one can clearly see the effect of the drought and the significant impact it has had on producers in all South African regions. With great gratitude, he reports that the Glen Carlou harvest is smaller by only 4% and the quality of the grapes looked very promising.
We congratulate Marius and his team for their significant effort and careful management practices in the vineyards. The fruit of their effort has been picked and we are so proud.
The grapes, although smaller, were more concentrated, had good acidity levels, were bursting with flavour and rich in colour. We are so excited to see what comes out of the cellar this vintage. Johnnie and his team are always working on innovative projects and new releases – so perhaps this year we might even see a new colour added to the Glen Carlou spectrum or an addition to The Collection.
Marius and Johnnie agreed that the Chardonnay grapes had them excited this season, but overall, they are very impressed with the quality this season. Marius adds that he is also particularly enthusiastic about the fruit from the younger Malbec blocks.
A Chardonnay Celebration
Chardonnay has played a major role in the history of Glen Carlou and was the first wine that was produced on the property. The first Glen Carlou Chardonnay was made in 1988 and was one of South Africa’s first Chardonnays. Today, this iconic Chardonnay has a significant local and global footprint.
Chardonnay remains a Glen Carlou signature and our three Chardonnays each represent a distinct style and terroir. The single vineyard Quartz Stone Chardonnay is rich and decadent, our green label Chardonnay is vibrant and easy drinking and our Unwooded Chardonnay is refreshing and versatile. Each showcasing the best characteristics of Chardonnay enhanced by fermentation style and aging method.
With a celebratory spirit, innovation, consistency and expertise at heart, we eagerly welcome the new vintage. Chardonnay in hand and a commitment to always deliver beyond expectation, we delight in doing the ordinary extraordinarily well.
Follow the journey of the Glen Carlou Chardonnays from harvest to bottle and as we celebrate another successful season.