Chardonnay

Vintage 2018

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 took place naturally in all the barrels and the wine was aged for 11 months in 35% new, 35% 2nd-fill and 30% 3rd-fill French oak barrels with regular bâttonage and stirring of the lees during the maturation period.

TASTING NOTES

Attractive fine pale green-gold in colour, with intoxicatingly well-defined flinty citrus and white flowers on the nose.The texture expands outwards through the palate with a richness and complexity that lasts long into the finish, whilst the crisp acidity gives a lovely backbone and a neat shot of freshness. This is followed by a delectable smokiness on the finish, with a whisper of the richer citrus core to lift it with the oak perfectly balanced for complexity, structure and underlying nutty richness. It is exhilarating and sublimely elegant, a wine that is ready to drink now, but can definitely also age well for many years to come.