WHEN BARGAIN-HUNTING for good South African Chardonnay at under R100 a bottle, generally speaking it pays to look at what’s coming out of the cellars up and down either side of the Breede River, from the top end of the Breedekloof just south of Wolseley, through Rawsonville and Worcester to Robertson and Bonnievale, where Fröhlich Family Wines are among the newcomers of note. Among the Stellenbosch offerings below the R100 ceiling in 2015 are wines from Hartenberg and Rustenberg, whose higher-priced flagships feature in the Top 20 of the 2015 SA Chardonnay Classification.

The following vintages received good reviews in 2015 and the prices were those at the cellar-door when surveyed during the course of the year.

TOP SA CHARDONNAY UNDER R50 A BOTTLE IN 2015

Alvi’s Drift ADS 2014, Worcester – R46
De Wet Cellar 2015, Worcester – R32
Excelsior 2015, Robertson – R47
Niel Joubert  2015, Paarl – R40
Stettyn The Griffin 2015, Villiersdorp – R38
Swartland Winery Winemaker’s Collection 2015, Malmesbury – R33
Windmeul 2015, Paarl – R42

TOP SA CHARDONNAY UNDER R100 A BOTTLE IN 2015

51 Miles Unwooded 2014 (Winters Drift), Grabouw/Elgin – R85
Alvi’s Drift AD 2014, Worcester – R85
Badsberg Sur Lie 2014, Rawsonville – R59
Bergsig 2015, Breedekloof – R76
Boschendal 1685 2014, Groot Drakenstein/Franschhoek – R80
Christina van Loveren 2014, Robertson – R83
De Wetshof Limestone Hill 2015, Robertson – R76
Douglas Green 2015 (DGB) – R55
Durbanville Hills 2015 – R50
Edgebaston 2014, Stellenbosch – R85
Fröhlich Wooded  2014, Bonnievale – R86
Hartenberg 2013, Bottelary/Stellenbosch – R95
Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented 2014, Stellenbosch – R80
Kranskop 2014, Robertson – R60
Lanzerac 2014, Jonkershoek/Stellenbosch – R95
Louisvale Chavant 2014, Devon Valley/Stellenbosch – R70
Robertson Winery Kings River 2013 – R77
Rustenberg Unwooded 2014, Stellenbosch – R75
Stellenrust 2015, Helderberg/Stellenbosch – R51
Zevenwacht 2014, Kuils River/Stellenbosch – R80