Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2020

Honeysuckle and jasmine on the nose, delicate and focused but holding back a little. On the palate it's lean and saline, with bright acidity and a steely mineral finish that suits the cool Hemel-en-Aarde terroir well. The style here is pared-back — almost austere — and while that restraint is genuinely appealing, the wine stops just short of giving you enough to hold onto. Satisfying in its precision, if not quite in its depth.