Reviews
Raymond Chan: 5★ 19/20 points
Fruit hand-picked, WBP and fully barrel-fermented with wild yeasts to 14.5% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 80% new French oak barrels, the wine undergoing batonnage over 8 months. Bright straw-yellow colour with light golden hues, pale on rim. The bouquet is powerful and tightly packed with aromas of ripe grapefruit allied to very powerful nutty oak, with lees and creamy elements. Dry and very full-bodied, the flavours are initially shy and restrained, showing an integrated amalgam of ripe yellow stonefruits and citrus fruit with nuts and oak spices. The palate has a concentrated core and rounded, creamy mouthfeel, with some alcohol warmth noticeable. The acidity is discreet, but provides a subtle tension, The finish blossoms with expansive and very long and sustained flavours of toast and grilled nuts from the oak. This is a very powerful, nutty flavoured, mouthfilling Chardonnay. Serve with roasted poultry and pork over the next 4-5+ years.
Reviews & Awards
WC CH 10
Pure Gold – Bragato Wine Awards 2011Gold - Hawkes Bay A & P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards 2011
5 Stars - Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
Regional Characteristics
Chardonnay. Hawkes Bay provides ripeness with a wonderful lemon and grapefruit aromatic, yet achieving ripeness on the palate at moderate sugar and balanced acidity.
The same level of ripeness in Marlborough often delivers a more tropical character, slightly less classic. Central Otago tends to be more flintly and mineral, but can exhibit a green edge and lack texture on the palate.
Winemaker's Intention
Sourced from a small area within the vineyard, where we believe we have uncovered our best soil, rootstock, clonal combination. It represents less than 5% of our total Chardonnay production. 100% barrel fermented with wild/natural yeast and twelve months on yeast lees to build the desired complexity, we still want the wine to be taut and fresh and exhibiting ripe citrus, minerality, hints of roasted nuts and toasty aromas with savoury overtones derived from extended contact with yeast lees.
