Tasting note
A rich, textural Chardonnay with great concentration of flavour and palate weight. A brilliant, pale lemon in appearance. Sweet lemon curd and key lime on the palate. Aromas of vanilla, toasted chestnut and sea spray on the finish. The palate has tension and concentration of citrus flavours while the yeast lees contribute to mouthfeel and persistence of flavour with a moderated oak influence.
Vintage and viticulture
The fruit was sourced across the Brawn, Kennedy Road and Orchard Vineyards in Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand. Certified organic (BioGro #5951 & #4892). Soils are mostly ancient alluvial riverbed with wind-blown loess and some clay. Mass selection of clones Mendoza, 95 and 6. 2022 was a brilliant growing season made challenging only by intermittent rainfall right at harvest time; judicious picking decisions and the ability to blend across three separate and distinct sites made for a more complete wine with each vineyard giving unique contributions to acidity, flavour and ripeness.
Vinification
The Chardonnay was hand harvested from each vineyard over 2 weeks. All whole bunch pressed into French oak, both 225L barriques and 500L puncheons, with approximately 5% of the total volume being in new oak. All wild fermented and all through full malolactic fermentation too, the wines were racked off their fine yeast lees, blended and then further matured in stainless steel tank before being bottled unfiltered and unfined (vegan) in April 2023.
