Indaba, Chardonnay, 2022
Indaba, Chardonnay, 2022
- 75cl
- 13%
- White Still
- Chardonnay
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2027
Indaba's 2022 Chardonnay is a bright, generous South African Chardonnay that strikes a nice balance between juicy fruit and a touch of creamy richness. From vineyards across the Western Cape, the wine brings together fruit from different sites to create an easygoing style with plenty of character.
Crisp yet generously textured, the palate combines bright citrus freshness with notes of honey and ripe tropical fruit. A touch of new French oak and lees ageing adds subtle layers of creamy butterscotch and spice, bringing richness and depth without overpowering the fruit.
It’s an uncomplicated pleasure: fresh enough for a sunny afternoon, rounded enough to work at the dinner table, and versatile enough to pair with everything from seafood and roast chicken to creamy pasta and spicy dishes. At around 13% alcohol, it has the sort of balance that makes a second glass feel like a very sensible idea.
This is a wine to enjoy now, not to cellar. At four years old, the 2022 is right in its drinking window, with the fruit fresh and the oak integration where it should be. Open it, chill it, enjoy it.
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale to medium gold with a bright, clean rim.
NoseForward and fruit-driven, with ripe pineapple, white peach, and a whisper of honey. A light toasty note from used French oak sits quietly underneath without dominating.
PalateSupple and broad with good weight for the price point, the tropical fruit character carrying through with pear and apple alongside a creamy, lightly buttery texture from lees ageing. Acidity keeps things fresh rather than flat.
FinishClean and medium in length, with a faint butterscotch note and a citrus lift at the end.
Overall impressionA crowd-pleasing, well-made Chardonnay that punches well above its price tag.
Food Pairings
In the Western Cape, this style of Chardonnay is the house white at a braai where fish is on the grid alongside the meat. Think grilled yellowtail with lemon butter, or a Cape Malay chicken curry where the wine's gentle sweetness plays beautifully against mild spice. Locally it would also sit alongside a creamy bobotie or a simple prawn peri-peri. At home in the Cape Winelands, it is the kind of bottle that appears at long lunches with friends, poured alongside fresh bread and a good aged Gouda.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve well chilled, around 10-12°C. No need to decant. A standard white wine glass with a moderate bowl will let the fruit open up without losing the wine's fresh edge. If anything, pull it from the fridge ten minutes before pouring rather than serving it straight from a very cold fridge.
Grapes are drawn from four distinct Western Cape regions, each lending something different. Robertson's limestone and decomposed shale drive bright acidity and a flinty mineral edge; Paarl and Stellenbosch contribute lushness and tropical weight from weathered granite and sandstone soils; Swartland's sandy topsoil over loamy subsoil adds a further citrus lift and mineral thread. The result of blending these sites is a wine with more textural range than any single origin could deliver.
The Western Cape designation allows producers to blend across South Africa's major wine regions, from the cool coastal pockets of Stellenbosch and Constantia to the inland heat of Robertson and the Swartland. It offers winemakers significant freedom to balance fruit character, acidity, and body by selecting the best parcels each vintage. This flexibility suits everyday-drinking styles well, where consistency and value are the goal rather than single-vineyard expression. The trade-off is that the label tells you less about provenance than an estate wine would.
FAQs
What does Indaba Chardonnay taste like?
Ripe and fruit-forward, with pineapple, pear, and a touch of honey. A small proportion of used French oak and several months on the lees add a creamy, lightly buttery texture without turning it into a full-on oaked Chardonnay. It is fresh, supple, and easy to like.
When should I drink this wine?
Now. The 2022 is drinking well and will continue to do so until around 2027, but this is not a wine designed for the cellar. The fruit is at its best right now and there is nothing to be gained by waiting.
What food goes well with this wine?
It is a versatile match. Grilled fish, creamy pasta, roast chicken, mild curries, and aged hard cheeses all work well. The wine has enough weight to handle richer dishes but enough acidity to cut through them. It is also perfectly good on its own.
How should I serve it?
Serve chilled, at around 10-12°C. No decanting needed. A standard white wine glass is ideal. If it has been in a very cold fridge, give it ten minutes on the counter before pouring.
Where do the grapes come from?
The fruit is sourced from four South African regions: Robertson, Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Swartland. Each contributes something different, from Robertson's bright acidity and mineral edge to the lush tropical weight of Paarl and Stellenbosch. Blending across regions gives the wine more textural range than a single-origin wine at this price point typically achieves.
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