Highfield Wines

Tasting Note: Chardonnay 2008 - SOLD OUT

The grapes for this Chardonnay were hand picked from a single vineyard situated on the
other side of the Mill Stream, below Highfield. The free-run juice was barrel fermented in a mixture of new and one year old barriques and matured giving a beautiful balance of fruit and oak. A fine and elegant expression of Marlborough Chardonnay.

Sensory Notes:

Colour: Light gold.
Aroma: Butterscotch, toasted oak and hazelnuts combine with pink grapefruit, orange,white peach, apricot, melon and subtle hints of coconut and pineapple.
Palate: Fine and elegant with some creamy oak flavours. A nutty, mealy smokiness fills the mouth and offers bursts of lemons and limes. The wine is well focused, yet smooth with a little minerality and a long fresh finish.

Awards

4 ½ stars, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wine 2010

Technical Notes

Fermentation: Whole-bunched pressed into French oak barriques. Full solids fermentation and MLF 100% in barrel

Maturation: 12 months in French oak barrels
Variety: Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol: 13%
Total acidity: 6.7g/l
pH: 3.4
Residual sugar: 1.0g/l
Harvest dates: 5 April 2008
Bottling dates: April 2009, under screw cap

Cellaring Potential

This wine is approachable and drinking well now and will mature nicely into 2011.

Food Suggestions

Well suited to cream based dishes and smoked seafood.