A hand-crafted Chardonnay from three cool climate vineyards in Overberg, Elgin and Ceres. Honeysuckle, lemon zest and salted caramel meet a stony, focused finish in an elegant, lifted style.

The Copper Pot wines began as small bottlings made as house wine for the Thorne family and for their parents' restaurant at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse in the Drakensberg. The wines have grown since then, but the focus on quality has not changed. Today Copper Pot is hand-crafted from select vineyards the team has found particularly suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, made alongside raising their two daughters.

The grapes come from three vineyards across the Overberg, Elgin and Ceres, where clay, quartz and sandstone give each parcel its own character. Fruit is hand-picked into small lugs and fermented in oak barrels of various sizes, including a small proportion of 500L Austrian oak. The winemaking is rigorously minimal, guiding the wine with as little intervention as possible. Pressing is done in an old horizontal basket press and settling is kept to a minimum. Both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations happen naturally. The team normally allows a period of up to 6 months where no sulphites are used, giving the wine time to express itself and blossom before sulphites are added ahead of blending and bottling.

Tasting Notes: Opens with sweet honeysuckle and fresh lemon zest, framed by a gentle thread of wood spice. The palate is lively and layered, with salted caramel, nut flesh and ripe stone fruit moving across a core of bright acidity. Despite the richness of flavour, the wine stays elegant and lifted, with a stony freshness that carries through to a long, focused finish. A classic Chardonnay frame delivered with a modern, restrained hand, and one that rewards a slightly cooler serving temperature.

Food Pairing: The salted caramel and nutty notes invite rich, buttery dishes, while the stony acidity keeps the pairing fresh. Try it with pan-seared scallops in brown butter, crayfish or prawns with garlic butter, or a classic roast chicken with thyme and lemon. It also works beautifully with creamy mushroom pasta, butternut and sage gnocchi, or a ripe Brie or Camembert with warm bread. For a Cape twist, serve it with grilled kingklip or Karoo style roast chicken with charred sweetcorn.

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.78% | TA 7.0g/L | pH 3.13 | RS 2.1g/L