Ataraxia2022 Chardonnay Skin Contact, Ataraxia
Western Cape, South AfricaVintage: 2022
Ataraxia, founded by celebrated South African winemaker Kevin Grant, is perched high in the dramatic hills of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, one of the country’s premier cool-climate wine regions. With vineyards planted at altitude on stony, clay-rich soils derived from ancient Bokkeveld Shale, Ataraxia is uniquely positioned to craft wines of purity, precision, and place.
The 2022 vintage marks only the third time Ataraxia has produced a fully skin-fermented Chardonnay, drawing on millennia-old winemaking traditions. This limited bottling pushes boundaries while honouring heritage, using an ancient technique to deepen the narrative of South African Chardonnay. The result is a rare and distinctive wine that invites curiosity and rewards attention, offering an authentic expression of terroir and time.
In the glass, it opens with aromas of orange peel, chamomile, toasted almond, and dried apricot, layered with earthy undertones and subtle spice. On the palate, the wine is structured yet fluid, with firm tannins and a mouth-coating richness that gives way to notes of preserved lemon, white peach, ginger, and a gentle saline minerality. The extended skin contact imparts both grip and intrigue, while the cool-climate acidity of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge keeps the wine vibrant and precise through a lingering, savoury finish.
Notable Awards
93 points – Tim Atkin MW “ An intriguing range extension from Chardonnay maestro Kevin Grant, this was fermented on its skins before ageing in older wood. Unusual, waxy and slightly tannic, with supporting acidity, lovely minerality and a savoury tang.”
Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay
12 Mixed Bottles *
£44.10
Save £4.90
* As part of a mixed case of any 12 bottles
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Tel : 02922 337454
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Description
Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde on petrified sand dunes, Ataraxia was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Kevin and Hanli Grant. A former Zoologist, Kevin spent years getting to know the intricacies of Hemel-en-Aarde`s terroir as head winemaker of Hamilton-Russell. Ataraxia is a deeply personal project for Kevin – along with some dear friends, he purchased 50 hectares of prime vineyard land in an exceptional landscape, known as `The Skyfields`. Nestled on this commanding rise beneath the soaring Babylons Toren mountain range, the vineyards are planted on some of the most spectacular terroirs South Africa has to offer.
Kevin’s approach to winemaking is minimalist and non-interventionist, geared to reflect a sense of place and expression of terroir. There are fourteen soil types on Ataraxia derived from the deposits of Table Mountain Sandstone, Cape Granite and Bokkeveld Shale. Collectively, these deposits make up the geology of the Hemel-en-Aarde area and can be traced back more than 1000 million years. This means they are cultivating some of the most ancient soils on Earth.
After nearly two decades of nurturing this special place, Kevin continues to make wines of incredible finesse, balance and depth with great international acclaim.
Picked and delivered to the cellar on 19th March 2022, the fruit was destalked and crushed. Skins, seeds and pulp were then transferred directly to two small fermenters to await the beginning of spontaneous fermentation. No additions were made to the ferment. Upon completion, everything was gently pressed off to older 225L French oak barrels to begin a maturation period that lasted 9 months. No malolactic fermentation occurred.
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