Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Analysis:
Alcohol: 13.5% | PH: 3.68 | Titratable acidity: 4.88 g/L
Bottling Date: August / September 2023
Cellaring: 3+ years
Tasting Notes:
A ripe, aromatic, rich and full Chardonnay. The nose shows intense ripe peach, cantaloupe melon, Asian pear, golden apple and pineapple with fresh lemon and aromatic vanilla and jasmine notes. The palate is full-bodied and silky textured with rich caramel, toasted almonds, butter and coconut notes balanced by crisp acidity, some chalky minerality and lemon meringue, verbena, nectarine and fresh apple through the long finish. Pair with coconut prawns, a cantaloupe melon and feta salad or roast chicken with mango salsa.
– Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2022 growing season will be remembered for its very late start and remarkable finish which allowed for an abundance of quality grapes grown and fine wines produced. An uncharacteristically cool spring resulted in bud break occurring in early May. With delays in fruit development by as much as three
weeks, careful vineyard management and cooperative conditions were needed to reach proper sugar levels and ideal natural acidity. The summer months were spectacular, offering the perfect amount of heat and sunshine to allow for our largest yield of grapes to date followed by an unbelievable fall heading into a
condensed harvest that began in October.
The grapes for our estate-grown Chardonnay were hand-picked in late September and early October. They were manually sorted and dropped wholecluster into our pneumatic presses for a gentle extraction of the juice. For a total of nine months in barrel, 80% of the juice was fermented in barrel using a complicated blend of various yeast strains, 10% of which were indigenous or spontaneous. This was followed by three months of post fermentation bâtonnage. To preserve the fresh acidity and fruit character of the wine, the remaining portion was fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks. Barrel fermentation (and aging) produces savoury, well-integrated oak undertones with subtle buttery notes from 31% MLF, while that in tank produces vibrant
and lean wines.
