Selected Chardonnay grapes from our best vineyards were used to make this very well integrated wine. The juice was barrel fermented and matured giving a balance of fruit and oak. The result is a generous expression of Marlborough Chardonnay with ripe pineapples and succulent peach flavours delicately balanced with subtle toasty and creamy nuances.
Sensory Notes:
Colour: Light gold
Aroma: Ripe pineapples, peaches and apricots, plus secondary characters of toasted coconut and hazelnut
Palate: Citrus fruits and marmalade on toast flavours. The wine has a nice focused acid structure with a long smooth finish
Awards
94 points, 5 stars, Gourmet Traveller WINE Aug/Sep 2009
5 stars, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wine 2009
Gold medal, Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2009
94 points, 5 stars, BobsWineReviews.com. Bob Campbell, April 2009
Technical Notes
Fermentation: Whole-bunched pressed into French oak barriques. Full solids
fermentation and MLF 100% in barrel
Maturation: 13 months in French oak barrels
Variety: Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol: 13%
Total acidity: 6.2g/l
pH: 3.6
Residual sugar: 1.7g/l
Harvest dates: 20 April 2007
Bottling dates: April 2008, under screw cap
Cellaring Potential
This wine is drinking very well now and is expected to mature nicely into 2010
Food Suggestions
Well suited to slow cooked small game and smoked seafood