Lismore Estate, Greyton (South Africa) Chardonnay 2016

American ex-pat Samantha O’Keefe makes this delicious wine in Greyton, a tiny appellation marked by a harsh climate and 900 feet of altitude in which she is the only vintner…presumably on account of the aforementioned conditions.  The fruit for this wine was dry-farmed on steep slopes with shale “soils,” and the vines survive despite a lack of rain only thanks to a layer of clay subsoil that helps retain just enough moisture.  This shows more oak influence than O’Keefe’s non-Reserve Chardonnay (which is too good to be referred to as a “regular” Chardonnay), but largely by accident.  In earlier vintages, this was made in all older, neutral oak, but she needed more cooperage for increased production in 2016, so two of the 5 casks (500 liters in size) were new.  Still, the oak influence on the wine is subtle and very classy, and the overall impression of the wine is spicy and energetic, with an arresting streak of lime and a very stylish, fresh finish.  If more producers of very expensive Chardonnay around the world took a taste of this wine, they’d get a lot less sleep at night.