Reviews
Michael Cooper, Winestate - top 40 Best Buy: 3.5★
Fruit-driven style, estate-grown at Mangatahi. Slightly creamy, with substantial body (14.5% alc/vol), grapefruit-like flavours, buttery notes, fresh acidity, and very good vigour and depth.
FS CH 10
Bronze – New Zealand International Wine Show 2011Bronze – Royal Easter Wine Awards 2012
FS CH 11
3 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
Our flying sheep Chardonnay has it’s philosophical origins in Chablis. We set out to make a Hawkes Bay version with all the complexity, minerality and palate length seen in these typically unwooded Chardonnays. We’re looking for stonefruit and lime aromas leading into a palate that is balanced and elegant and fruit driven. This wine shows the benefit of an extended time on lees and is complex with nougat and mineral notes. The effect picking gapes with a slightly higher acidity is that we can encourage an complete malolactic fermentation and in doing so develop a finish that is long and balanced by a lively natural acidity.
