Chardonnay

Vintage 2016

WINEMAKING

The fruit for this wine was carefully harvested by hand into small lug boxes and then stored overnight at 5˚C in a cold room. The following morning half of the fruit was whole-bunch pressed and the other half de-stemmed and crushed. After settling, 30% of the juice was racked into barrel without the addition of any yeast for natural fermentation and the remaining juice inoculated before racking into barrels for alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation then took place naturally in all the barrels and the wine was aged for 11 months in 40% new, 30% 2nd-fill and 30% 3rd-fill French oak barrels with regular battonage and stirring of the lees during the maturation period. 

TASTING NOTES

The colour of the wine is a very pale and attractive silvery green-gold. It is sublimely elegant and classically styled with the ripe summer fruit enriching the style of wine and reflecting the perfect warm and dry conditions of the growing year. Generous on the nose, it shows of white peaches and delicate lemony notes with subtle undertones of vanilla and butterscotch. On the palate, it displays a rich complexity with tropical stone fruit characteristics, a fine creaminess and a silky mouthfeel, which is beautifully balanced by the fresh natural acidity, that all leads to a long-lasting clean and fresh finish.