Casablanca Chardonnay
Originally from Burgundy in France, this adaptable variety is used to produce wines of differing styles. Unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnays tend to be fresh, fruity wines with predominant flavours of lemon and green apple. Aged in oak these wines can achieve great levels of richness, flavour and aromatic complexity. Accompanied by tropical fruit flavours such as pineapple and peach.
| Appellation | Casablanca Valley |
| Soil | Benchland and hillside associated soils. |
| Ageing | 30% fermented and aged in French oak barrels, 70% aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 to 8 months. |
| Colour | Light, lemon yellow, clean and bright. |
| Taste Profile | A crisp Chardonnay packed with tropical fruit flavours with subtle hints of vanilla. A medium bodied wine with good balance and a fresh finish. Great with fish and seafood and creamy pasta dishes. |
| Tasting Notes Video |  |
Successful matches with Casablanca Chardonnay
With most Chardonnays, richer dishes help to underscore the fuller body and creamy texture of the wine.
Spicy dishes (with chillis) accentuate the alcohol and oak in most Chardonnays, and therefore should be avoided.
In addition to a wide variety of appetisers, richer seafood, shellfish, and poultry dishes, Chardonnay pairs nicely with many veal and pork entrées, particularly when prepared with fewer ingredients so that the wine doesn't fight with the complexity of the dish.
A sprinkling of toasted nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts, can balance the oaky flavours of most Chardonnays.
Salmon and Sea bass Ceviche
(Serves one)
100g Salmon fillet
100g Sea bass
1 Avocado
2 onions
3½ tbsp Lemon juice
½ Garlic clove
1 Green chilli
2½ tsp Coriander
2 Tomatoes - seeds only
Salt and pepper
Cut the salmon and sea bass in very thin slices and arrange them on a dish alternating a salmon and a sea bass slice.
In a blender, liquidize the onion, garlic and coriander together with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes and sieve.
Cut the green chilli in small cubes, dice the avocado, slice the onion and squeeze the seeds out of the tomatoes.
Use all these ingredients to garnish the salmon and sea bass slices. Just before serving, pour the onion, garlic, coriander and lemon juice sauce over the fish.
Serve with French toast.
?Consistently good Chilean chardonnay, easily the best of its ilk and a terrific, cinnamon-spiced, apple and melon-charged mouthful.?
Jane MacQuitty, The Times, March 2010
?A fruity Chardonnay with ripe tropical fruit flavours and creamy oak made by one of Chile?#153;s best winemaking concerns under the watchful eye of chief oenologist Marcelo Papa. Excellent with poultry.?
Stroud News & Journal, December 2009
