Atlas Swift Premium Wines | For The Love Of Chardonnay

Wine farms are very much an experience. Be it the quality of wines, the different regions setting a beautiful scenery, or the whole experience that ticks all the boxes. When driving through Franschhoek the choices for wine tasting seem endless. You almost feel like a kid in a candy store.

Situated in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, Atlas Swift Wines is home to the finest, elegant Chardonnays, with the focus on quality together with an outstanding creation of sustainable winemaking at its finest. Atlas Swift creates Chardonnay from different terroirs across the Cape Winelands. An appreciation for the finer things in life if you enjoy Chardonnay in a space where you can taste the different terroirs side by side in the glass.

Welma and Martin Smith are the masterminds of this family owned brand, wanting to do this for such a long time. The name of the brand is dedicated to Atlas, the titan of perseverance. This brand gives Welma and Martin a playground of opportunities to explore the diverse terroirs our beautiful Cape Winelands has to offer. They also have Paserene Wines down the road and the name means swifts and swallows which gives it a subtle connection with the new brand.

Their passion and dreams paid off when Atlas Swift was born in 2019. All their wines are vinified in the same fashion, the only difference being the origin of the grapes. All of them spent a year in the barrels and a year in the bottles before it gets released. The wines are produced in very limited quantities due to the restrictions of their provenance.

Although Atlas Swift is still very new, Martin and Welma have a wealth of wine knowledge and love Chardonnay. Martin, a third-generation winemaker, spent 10 years in Napa making Chardonnays and Cabernets. Welma, a qualified Sommelier, spent time in Bordeaux and studied wine. A perfect combination of skills that captures the essence of the wines using different wine techniques to create the best result for their brand.

All the illustrations done on the labels are representations of the character of the wine as well as the character where it is from. Beautifully illustrated by an Ukrainian artist, Ana Kuni, depicting female warriors presenting the terroir of each bottle of wine. Normally when you taste, you taste in shapes and sizes, energy, colours and textures. The illustrations on the labels is based on synesthesia – an interesting way when one sense elicits other senses.

ATLAS SWIFT RANGE

The range includes 2 cold climate Chardonnays as well as 2 warmer climate Chardonnays.

Wine Of Origin Cederberg Chardonnay 2019
Cederberg Mountains with a very high altitude of over 1100 metres above sea level. They source the grapes from a small farm called Kromrivier. So Martin would go and make sure the grapes are grown in the style they are looking for.

This wine has a pale straw colour, filled with inviting citrus aromas of lemon and lime peel, as well as white floral components that pulls through. The palate is precise and poised, with a tension derived from the fresh acidity, and lingering notes of lemon curd on the finish.

Wine Of Origin Cape South Coast Chardonnay 2019
Grown on chalk soil close to Stilbaai and Jongensfontein area. About 7km from the ocean resulting in a wine that has a salty character, lending an element of minerality to the wine which ends with a saline, oyster-shell finish.

This wine has a beautiful golden-green rim, with intense aromas of iodine and ripe citrus peel on the nose. The high concentration of sodium and potassium present in the soil where the vineyard grows, bring forth a minerality to the mid-palate, and a fresh saline edge to the lengthy finish.

Wine Of Origin Wellington Chardonnay 2019
Wellington is known for its red clay soils and warm mediterranean climate. Sourced from vineyards rooted in a combination of Glenrosa, and weathered schist and shale soils.

This wine has a pale lemon hue with an abundance of tropical fruit aromas – pineapple, peach, pear and apricot. The palate is medium-bodied, with ripe orange and grapefruit flavours. Stellar balance between the fruit, acidity and oak components. The fruit complexity carries through to the finish, with a touch of vanilla on the aftertaste.

Wine Of Origin Robertson 2019
The dry, medium hot climate of the area is optimal to produce premium grapes. Immersed in limestone-rich soils, the vineyards add a chalky minerality and a flinty finish to the wine.

Bright golden hues, with aromas of ripe citrus peel, orange blossom and yellow peaches. The palate displays fleshy stone fruit characters, and the rich and creamy texture is balanced by a bright seam of acidity. A complex wine with lingering flavours of golden apples on the finish.

SHELTER RANGE

This is an informal range consists of two wines where the focus is on blending different components to create wines fit for everyday consumption. This range is a playground for Martin and Welma having fun with the blending process until they find the perfect combination.

Shelter Chardonnay 2020
A blend of components from the four different areas used in the Atlas Swift range – giving you the best of four worlds.

Upfront aromas of ripe citrus, burnt orange and lemon curd. Sultry flavours of grapefruit and hazelnuts on the palate, with a bright acidity to compliment the creamy vanilla flavours. Flavours of freshly baked brioche and yeasty notes on the lengthy finish.

Shelter Red Blend 2019
A blend of premium red varieties such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Focusing on Malbec, resulting in a silky, feminine wine with luscious red fruits and smooth, soft tannins.

Intense ruby-red colour. Perfumed floral aromatics are further enhanced by complex aromas of raspberries, black cherry preserve and all-spice. The palate is well balanced, soft and supple, with rounded tannins and plush red fruits on the finish.

“Our motto in life is simple – dream big, work hard and persevere with the tenacious spirit of a warrior to make those dreams a reality. We have always dreamed of having our destiny in our own hands, and to raise our two children in an environment filled with the love for what we do – to produce outstanding wines from unique terroirs.

We believe that we are firmly in charge of that destiny, and that the Atlas Swift range of wines is a culmination of hard work, perseverance and the multiplicity of distinctive origins, cultures, memories and energy.”

– Martin and Welma Smith

PLATTERS

Enjoy a Cheese and Charcuterie platter or try their Vegan platters curated by @earth_2_plate. I am not a vegan but I chose the option for something different. It was delicious and probably one of the best platters I had in a long time!

It is a must try as the cheese is made from cashew nuts and complements the Chardonnays perfectly.

  • Cured smoky carrot + seaweed pickle
  • Mushroom Pate with lentil + walnuts (using atlas swift red )
  • Beetroot chutney with Mustard seed + cardamom
  • Sourdough – Gluten-free seeded crackers available
  • Truffle + camembert Fauxmage cheez
  • Dukkah spice + Local olives
  • Seasonal fruit

    Sweet treat:
    Cardamom Vanilla Shortbread topped with Almond, Cacao Butter and Mesquite caramel glazed in Chocolate Ganache, lightly scented with orange, sesame and thyme.

The 2020 vintage is now available to taste. Next time when in Franschhoek turn into Atlas Swift for a Chardonnay wine tasting and opt for a Vegan Platter or make it part of your stop when using the wine tram.

For bookings, please call or email Welma.
+27 (0)84 585 1183 | welma@atlasswift.co.za

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