CHARDONNAY 2022

Rianco van Rooyen, Senior Wine Maker, Robertson Winery

After spending 12 years at Orange River Cellars in the Northern Cape, Rianco van Rooyen joined Robertson Winery as Senior Wine Maker at the end of 2019. Overseeing white wine production as well as the brand’s premium range, Constitution Road, Rianco has easily identified with the passion and commitment of Robertson Winery’s people to provide the consumer with the best possible product.

Constitution Road is Robertson Winery’s flagship range and consists of two wines, a beautifully rounded, creamy Chardonnay, and a velvety Shiraz with enveloping, warm spicy notes and hints of dark chocolate.

Besides the fact that the Robertson Winery address is 1-10 Constitution Road, these wines, birthed in 2004, 10 years after South Africa’s new 1994 democracy, are a proud celebration of the country’s ground-breaking constitution.

Everything about the award winning Constitution Road wines is about careful selection, says Rianco.

The meticulous process begins when the best sites are selected to establish the vineyards. For the chardonnay, grapes are grown in the limestone rich soil that characterises the Robertson Valley region 160km from Cape Town, while the shiraz is selected from the older shiraz vineyards where a reduced yield results in intense flavours and aromas.

From there, only the best wine from the fermentation tanks is selected for about 100 barrels, with only 50 of these chosen for the beautifully labelled bottles that artfully depict the country’s freedom.

The shiraz, which pairs well with a slow roasted barbeque shoulder with plum sauce, retails for about R220, while the chardonnay is perfectly suited to be enjoyed with grilled prawns or salmon with garlic butter, and retails for approximately R150.

Rianco’s love for international travel, as well as his career stints in both California and Bordeaux have not only contributed to his aromatically-intense and fruit forward winemaking, but have also given him a deep appreciation for the way the South African wine industry is able to promptly respond to unique challenges. It his belief that this agility, combined with an ability to produce a wide variety of wine styles that don’t lose their distinct local character, is what makes South Africa’s wineries stand out on the world stage.

Having graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in 2005 with a BSc Agric. (Viticulture and Oenology), Rianco completed his Master’s Degree in Oenology (Cum Laude) at the end of 2018. And when it comes to his philosophy on the complexities of wine making, Rianco puts it simply, less is often more.