White Lady Chardonnay by Warwick Estate
£32.00
£42.67 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 6 bottles available
Stellenbosch Chardonnay done properly. Warwick's White Lady marries the orchard-fruit generosity of three carefully chosen vineyard sites with the smoky polish of Burgundian barrels, finishing with a tangy line of acidity that keeps everything honest. If you've been chasing the elegance of white Burgundy without the price tag, this is your bottle.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We taste a lot of Cape Chardonnay, and the White Lady consistently punches above its price. What we love is the restraint: Warwick could easily have leaned harder on the new oak, but the barrel regime is deliberately measured, letting that Helderberg acidity carry the wine rather than smothering it. This is the bottle we reach for when someone asks for a serious South African white that won't frighten a Burgundy drinker. Perfect for slow Sunday lunches, dinner parties where you want a talking point, or anyone curious about what Stellenbosch can really do with this grape.
Tasting Notes
Orchard blossom and citrus zest lift from the glass, followed by ripe apricot, white peach and a gentle whisper of baking spice. The palate is where this wine flexes: powerful and creamy, layered with baked apple, toasted almond and warm brioche straight from the oven. Nine months in Burgundian barrels gives it real weight and texture, but tangy citrus acidity threads through the middle and keeps the finish long, focused and seriously moreish.
About This Wine
Some Chardonnays shout. The White Lady whispers, and you lean in closer. Warwick Estate has built this wine the way the best Burgundian producers do: three separate Stellenbosch sites, each picked at different ripeness levels, each bringing something the others can't. Two parcels on the cool Helderberg give the wine its bright nervy acidity, while a west-facing slope on the Simonsberg adds weight, floral lift, and a proper sense of texture across the palate. Expect orchard blossom and citrus on the nose, then apricot and peach with a curl of warm spice. The palate is where things get serious: baked apple, toasted almond, freshly buttered brioche, all framed by nine months in 228-litre Burgundian barrels (a thoughtful mix of new and older oak that adds polish without ever shouting vanilla). Tangy acidity stitches it all together. This is a powerful wine, but it has the structure to back it up. Pour it alongside grilled line fish with roasted tomatoes and fresh greens, or stretch it further with roast chicken, lemony risotto, or a slab of mature Cheddar. It drinks beautifully now and will reward five to seven years in the cellar for anyone patient enough to wait. Delivered across the UK, and gift-worthy enough to turn a quiet Tuesday into something worth remembering. Send a bottle to a friend who still talks about their Cape holiday, and watch them light up.
Food Pairing
Built for the table. Grilled line fish with blistered tomatoes and a tangle of fresh greens is the natural call, but it has the weight for a roast chicken with tarragon butter, or a creamy seafood risotto. Try it with a wedge of mature Comté, or pull it out for Sunday roast pork with apple sauce. Rich enough to handle butter, fresh enough to cut through it.
- —Grilled sea bass with roasted cherry tomatoes and wilted greens
- —Roast chicken with tarragon and lemon butter
- —Creamy crab and prawn risotto
- —Roast pork loin with apple sauce and crackling
- —Mature Comté or aged Gruyère with toasted walnuts
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant, but if the bottle has a few years on it, a brief swirl in the glass (or 15 minutes in a decanter) helps the oak-derived complexity unfurl and the orchard fruit step forward.
Behind the Wine
Stellenbosch Chardonnay lives or dies on balance, and Warwick spreads its bets across three sites to find it. Two Helderberg vineyards catch the cooling Atlantic breezes that keep acidity bright and citrus notes lifted. The third sits on a warmer west-facing slope of the Simonsberg, where slower ripening adds weight, texture and a floral perfume. Picking each parcel separately at different ripeness levels gives the winemaker a palette to work with, building complexity from the vineyard upwards rather than leaning on the cellar to fill in the gaps.
Ageing Potential
Drinking beautifully now, but there's plenty in reserve. Cellar for five to seven years and the bright orchard fruit will deepen towards honeyed quince and lemon curd, while the oak melts further into the texture. The acidity is the backbone that makes the journey worthwhile.
The Land
The blend draws on two distinct expressions. The Helderberg sites bring tension and citrus drive, cooled by maritime air sweeping off False Bay. The Simonsberg parcel, west-facing and warmer, contributes broader texture, structural depth and a lifted floral note. Together they give the wine both backbone and perfume.
The Winemaking
Whole bunches go straight to press, with the juice settling naturally before fermentation in 228-litre Burgundian French oak barrels. The oak regime is deliberately layered: roughly a third new, the rest a mix of second, third and fourth fill, with neutral barrels in the blend. That patchwork gives gentle vanilla warmth and toast without ever drowning the fruit. Barrels are rolled monthly across nine months on lees, building that creamy, brioche-like texture, before careful selection, blending and a light filtration ahead of bottling.