2024 Amoise Amphora Chenin Blanc

From Amy Farnsworth, Winemaker: "I am excited to release my fifth version of this rare planting in New Zealand. This Chenin Blanc is textural and mouth filling, with tropical fruit notes, crisp granny smith apple acidity and a saline finish. Ideal with white fish, oysters, mussels and goat’s cheese. The grapes are attentively grown at the exceptional Two Terraces vineyard (Mangatahi Terraces region) by Ian and Linda Quinn, and are organic certified by Bio Gro. My allocated rows have been farmed biodynamically since 2020.

The grapes were foot crushed in picking bins and left to soak overnight to extract phenolic texture before being whole bunch pressed into Tinajas (amphorae) and older large puncheons. I made a vineyard starter (pied de cuve) with Chenin grapes that fermented naturally in the vineyard under the vines. I then inoculated the tinajas with this natural starter ensuring a healthy vineyard yeast strong ferment. The wine is unfined and unfiltered and no additives were used at any time."