Nice Beverage Ancient Chardonnay Fizz-Eezy 2023

Profile & Story

Hardy McQueen, a chef turned wine negociant, founded Nice Beverage Co. in Cape Town in July 2020, during an especially turbulent time in the South African wine scene. The company was designed from the ground up to uplift and give space to emerging wine talents, especially those of women, black winemakers, and those traditionally excluded from winemaking spaces; today all of the winemakers in the Nice Beverage Co. come from marginalized communities in South Africa. There is no house style beyond a general enthusiasm for lower-intervention winemaking - only natural yeasts are used - and championing the diverse terroir of South Africa. This cuvee is 100% Chardonnay from Wellington, made by winemaker Natasha Williams. Picked on 01 February 2023, whole-bunch pressed and settled overnight; spontaneous fermentation, bottled on the 12th day of fermentation so that fermentation completed in the bottle (methode ancestrale). The wine was left on the lees for 6 months; bottles were riddled and disgorged in August 2023. Sustainable farming.