This is granite-grown Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay from the Newton Johnson winemaking family, already given 16 months in bottle before release. Taut, saline and precise, it is the kind of Chardonnay that rewards anyone who loves a mineral, cool-climate style. Once this allocation is gone, it is gone.

Hearth, meaning the centre of the home, is Nadia Newton Johnson’s personal project, reflecting the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley where she has lived and made wine alongside her husband, Gordon Newton Johnson, for two decades. 

The vineyards lie at the foot of the Babylonstoren mountains in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Nadia describes how soil, aspect and climatic conditions in this valley are perfect for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

For Nadia, Hearth is about a desire to nurture a specific parcel of land her family calls home. Winemaking is minimalist and tactile. Small quantities, hand-harvested and hand-sorted fruit, gravity-fed flow, and spontaneous fermentations are the order of the day

Fewer than 1,000 bottles were produced from clone 96 Chardonnay. The fruit spent the night in a cold room before being sorted and whole-bunch pressed. The wine completed full malolactic fermentation and spent ten months in barrel, with 30% new oak, followed by four months in stainless steel before bottling.

Planted in 2004 on a south-facing, 12% slope in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 280 m above sea level and 7 km from the ocean. North-south rows at 2 857 vines per hectare, with drip irrigation only when dry spells demand it. Granite soils, around 580 million years old, with clay layers at 30 to 60 cm that hold moisture through summer. Yields are modest at 33 hl/ha.

Cellar
Hand-harvested into 12kg crates, cooled overnight at 4°C and hand sorted. Whole bunches went by gravity to the pneumatic press, with no additions to fruit or juice. The juice ran straight to barrel without settling, where spontaneous fermentation and malolactic were completed (27% new oak). After 10 to 11 months on the lees, the wine was racked to a single stainless steel vessel for four more months on fine lees. No fining, coarse filtration only, then 16 months in bottle before release.

2024 vintage
A cold, generous winter and early budbreak were followed by a once-in-a-century storm on 24 September (over 400 mm in two days), with no lasting damage. Vigorous canopies and high disease pressure demanded constant vineyard work. A warm January and February ripened the fruit steadily, with excellent phenolic ripeness and fewer heat spikes preserving freshness and detail. Harvested 8 February, 100 days after mid-flowering.

Tasting Notes: The nose is poised and mineral-driven, opening with struck match reduction, fresh citrus zest and a subtle leesy complexity that adds depth without weight. The palate is taut and linear, carried by bright acidity and a saline edge, with a fine, chalky structure running through the middle. A delicate phenolic grip gives the wine shape and tension, leading into a long, savoury, citrus-driven finish. There is a real energy and purity here, the hallmark of vines that have to work hard in granite soils, and with only 27% new oak the wine reads as site and fruit first. Tight, precise and quietly intense, this is cool-climate Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay in its most mineral register.

Food Pairing: The saline edge, citrus drive and chalky grip make this a natural partner for seafood. Think freshly shucked oysters, West Coast mussels, rock lobster with lemon butter or a simply grilled line fish finished with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. The acidity is just as happy cutting through richer dishes, so roast chicken with herb butter, pan-seared scallops, a creamy mushroom risotto or a buttery crayfish linguine all work beautifully. For cheese, reach for aged Gruyère, Comté or a fresh, young goat's cheese. Serve well chilled but not ice cold, in a large white wine glass, to let the reduction open and the citrus lift.

“Matured for 10 months in barrel, 30% new. Lemon, floral perfume, vanilla and a hint of struck-match reduction on the nose. Dense fruit and bright acidity lead to a savoury finish. More powerful than its 13% alcohol suggests, yet precise, balanced and direct. Rich but not overdone, the wine remains focused and tight. CE’s rating: 95 | Serious” - Christian Eedes

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.25% | TA 6.4g/L | pH 3.27 | RS 2.9g/L