Iona Elgin Highlands Chardonnay 2021

100% Chardonnay. After a Platinum win for Elgin Chardonnay last year, we all suspected it was only a matter of time before this propitious combination of variety and region would make its way into our Top Fifty. So it proved this year, as this high-sited (200m-450m), mountain-fringed zone in the Cape’s deep, ocean-cooled south brought us one of the most memorable of this year’s Chardonnay cohort. It’s pale dawn-yellow in colour, with taut yet close-knit aromas that suggest plant sap, peeled vegetable and spring leaf as much as green fruits. The 11 months’ oak provide an aromatic backdrop without obscuring vineyard character. On the palate, the wine is lean, shapely, intense: a cool waterfall of Chardonnay fruits which sweep seamlessly over the tongue, leaving it looking for more. Drinkability, refreshment and a unique regional style come together memorably here. Best in Show. Score – 97. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2023)