Soil and wine

To know exactly how a wine's flavours are influenced by the type of soil the grapes are grown in remains one of wine's central mysteries. 

Soil not only retains heat (or not), reflects sun light (or not), and holds nutrients fro the vines, soil also importantly influences water drainage. A good soil must retain enough water to steadily supply the vine, but not so much water that the roots become saturated. 

Atlas Swift Robertson Chardonnay and the Cape South Coaste Chardonnay are both thriving on Limestone soil. 

Limestone soil covers a large range of sedimentary based soils consisting of calcium carbonates, many of which are formed from the skeletal fragments of marine organisms. Limestone is consistently alkaline and is generally planted with grapes of high acidity levels. 

Limestone is the main soil type in Burgundy, Champagne, and several parts of South Africa, like Robertson and Cape South coast.  

It offers freshness and texture together with age-ability, elegant and complex wines.