- 100% Chardonnay
- A single-vineyard wine from a site on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge that is ideally located in a mountain shadow, at high altitude and near the ocean
- The wine is named after the Bokkeveld shale and clay soils on which it is grown, which combine to provide the perfect base for a balanced, Grand Cru-rivaling wine
- Whole-bunch pressed with no enzymes, SO2 or commercial yeasts added at pressing
- After an overnight rough-settling, the juice was sent to barrel, with fermentation and ageing taking place over 10 months in a 2600L Foudre
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2023
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Walker Bay
Appellation:
Hemel-en-Aarde
Variety:
Chardonnay
Color:
White
Farming Practice:
Sustainable
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | ZA-CRY-11-23 | 6/750ml |
Resources
Press & Reviews
James Suckling
Score
94
Date
2024-11-25
"This cool and exquisite chardonnay has notes of salted almonds, wild rice, orange curd, cardamom and digestive cookies. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it's deliciously salty, mineral and expressive in an understated way. Drink now or hold."
Wine Advocate
Score
94
Date
2025-06-05
"The Crystallum 2023 Hemel-En-Aarde Ridge Clay Shales Chardonnay is a wine of delicate but unfolding complexity. It starts off with citrusy tones backed by linear minerality. With time in the glass, the tightness of the bouquet relaxes to reveal peach, poached apple and a hint of wild sage or underbrush. This is a smooth-drinking, medium-bodied Chardonnay with pronounced saltiness from shale soils. Production is 5,830 bottles."
Vinous
Score
90
Date
2024-09-19
"The 2023 Clay Shales comes from high-density plantings of Chardonnay close to Creation. Matured in around 25% new oak, this has a fresh and vibrant bouquet with just a touch of reduction that works to its benefit. The palate is very well balanced with an oaky entry and fine acidity, though it lacks the precision I found in the 2022 last year."
Wine and Spirits
Score
90
Date
2023-03-31
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2022
Decanter
Score
95
Date
2024-03-21
"Powerful, creamy and nutty in character there are notes of tropical fruits, lemon zest, subtle herbal twists and a long, crushed stone-driven finish. An impressive and weighty wine which retains great poise. Brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson set up the winery in 2007 with Clay Shales produced from grapes grown in the Ridge wine ward at 300m. Whole-bunch pressed, and matured for 10 months in 500L French and Austrian barrels."
2022
Vinous
Score
93
Date
2023-11-02
"The 2022 Clay Shales includes fruit from vines planted in 2016, so production this year has expanded compared to previous vintages. This has a pretty bouquet with pressed white flowers, nectarine, and white peach and honeysuckle touches. The palate is well-balanced with fine grip, impressive structure and depth, more powerful than the Ferrum with a persistent finish. This is a great Chardonnay that should age well in bottle."
2022
Wine Advocate
Score
92
Date
2023-12-29
"Instantly impressive in the glass, the 2022 Clay Shales Chardonnay opens with classic Chardonnay aromas of yellow apple and Meyer lemon that burst with a bright, floral essence and hints of wax melon. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the mouthfeel has a delicate mineral tension with succulent acidity. Lingering flavors of lemon pastry cream persist over the long, spicy finish. It's a fantastic Chardonnay that spent 10 months in all French oak, 20% new. Only 4,680 bottles were produced. Chardonnay lovers should seek out this beautiful bottling."
2021
Vinous
Score
92
Date
2022-09-29
2021
Wine and Spirits
Score
90
Date
2023-03-31
"A wide-open structure presents a core of apple jam with a white-flower freshness. That difference in shape makes the wine feel precise, and though it lasts with a crushed-stone energy, the flavors don,t stick around quite as long. "