If it stays the course, the great white blossoms into full nobility.

The ambience of the famous (and erstwhile secret) ‘Tabernacle’ at Distell’s Adam Tas facility where ancient vintages are locked behind romantic wrought-iron doors, is the perfect setting for a dip into wine history. And, because of what is usually kept very firmly locked up behind those doors, it's a good place to check on long-term maturation, should one snag an invitation.

So, in a follow up from a tremendous experience with old chardonnays a few weeks ago at Danie de Wet’s Robertson cellar, new man in charge of the Zonnebloem range, cellar master Deon Boshoff, treated a small tasting expedition (of the current vintages) to a glorious 1990 chardonnay as a grand finale.

Horrible in its then gaudy green label (in contrast the old-worldly elegance of the reds in white, black, gold and red), the Zonnebloem chardonnay (the second vintage; four stars in Platter), at the age of twenty, was a study in class - a perfect example of how, when correctly made, sensibly-matured (undisturbed), chardonnay can outlive and blossom. The wine had a wonderful dark yellow gold tone, with hardly a note of age on the typical perfumed nose. The palate was rich, oily like a Meursault, well-balanced and intact, with hazelnuts, citrus, and a lingering chalky minerality in its complex make-up. Simply lovely.

The mature chardonnay that scored so highly earlier, during a visit to De Wetshof last month, was a different kettle of fish all together, but equally impressive. And what made it really special, is that it confirmed the judges’ decision (among them the famous Frank Prial from the New York Times) way back then that the De Wetshof Finesse 1993 made Danie de Wet a worthy winner of that year’s Diners Club winemaker-of-the-year award. After seventeen years, De Wet’s trophy wine was in perfect nick: fresh and lively, more like a maturing Chablis style wine, with hardly any age.

We also tasted the De Wetshof D’Honneur 1993 (which got a double gold Veritas two years ago) and it too was in good shape. (The flagship Bateleur 1993 didn’t last so well, but the 1998, from a magnum, was great.) A number of De Wet chardonnays from the early 2000s were all in fine shape. (The 2003 D’Honneur may be another long life candidate.)

All goes to show that chardonnay ages beautifully - when it does. And, it can do so, with care, for a long time.