Hermanus, South Africa, February 2025

Whalehaven is celebrating another milestone on its path to becoming one of South Africa’s sought-after Chardonnay producers. Its 2021 Seascape Chardonnay has earned the prestigious 5-Star rating from Platter’s South African Wine Guide, a testament to the wine’s exceptional quality and collectible appeal. With recent praise from critics and wine enthusiasts alike, this latest accolade sparks curiosity—what has been happening the last few years at Whalehaven?

The 2021 vintage has built on the momentum created by the 2020 Seascape Chardonnay, which marked a pivotal shift in Whalehaven’s winemaking approach. Silvana Bottega, taking over the helm of the family business, had already asked their winemaking team to introduce a more refined style with heightened acidity and fresher fruit characteristics in line with the “fresh seaside” ethos of the property that is situated near the coast. The 2020 has performed exceptionally well and the 2021 vintage, that has even brighter acidity and balance, has taken these elements to new heights. The wine showcases an exquisite expression of the Hemel-en-Aarde terroir, delivering vibrant citrus notes of lime, lemon meringue pie, and a symphony of clean, bright elements that perfectly reflect the cool-climate, maritime influences of the valley. These elements create a wine of elegance and precision, with a long, satisfying finish that highlights its impeccable balance and structure. The 2021 Seascape Chardonnay exemplifies Whalehaven’s focus and commitment to crafting wines that balance elegance, minerality, and vibrant fruit, with a clear sense of place.

A Journey of Refinement and Excellence
The continued success of Whalehaven’s Chardonnays reflects a clear trajectory of refinement in both the flavour characteristics and winemaking techniques. Whilst the accolade for the 2021 vintage was a remarkable achievement in the local market, Bottega has a clear ambition to take this winery onto a world stage. To achieve this aim, she has recently spearheaded the appointment of Master of Wine Richard Kershaw to oversee the Whalehaven Terroir Series, from the 2023 vintage, where the wines are even more fine-tuned with greater precision, balance, and a clearer expression of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley’s distinctive terroir.
This was also in line with the timing of their expansion at Idiom, with Alberto Bottega investing in a doubling of the family’s vineyard in southern Stellenbosch where Reino Thiart is now focusing his time.

“Each vintage of Whalehaven Chardonnay represents a step forward in the winery’s quest to produce wines of outstanding quality and global recognition. The potential of South African chardonnays on a global stage is immense, I am aiming to create something that causes goosebumps.”

Looking to the Future

Whalehaven is excited to continue showcasing its exceptional wines to collectors, sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts worldwide. With each new vintage, the winery’s reputation for quality and excellence grows, and its wines continue to gain recognition both in South Africa and around the globe.

“We are incredibly proud of the recognition Whalehaven has received for our Chardonnays, particularly the 2021 Whalehaven Seascape Chardonnay,” said Silvana Bottega, owner of Whalehaven Wines. “This 5-Star rating is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, and it motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries of excellence in winemaking. In 2021 under Reino Thiart we had already started to refine the vision to make a more lean and elegant chardonnay. The 5-Star platters reflects those changes. We are excited to share our wines with more collectors and wine lovers worldwide and look forward to the next chapter in Whalehaven’s journey.”

The winery is already working on an allocation basis for the 2023 vintage with the majority of Whalehaven Terroir Series targeted to an expanding network of international agents and a refined set of private collectors, prestige restaurants and trade.

For more information or collateral: kaylee@bottegafamilywine.co.za | +27 21 8523590