Nose
Clean and bright with creamy lees and nutty oak. There is fennel, peach and
lime with a slight lanolin-smokey note.
Palate
Rich and creamy with good acid drive. The palate has nutty French oak with
creamy lees, peach, fennel and butter. The finish is fine and firm. A restrained
Chardonnay that will improve with age.
Growing Conditions
Our Chardonnay vines were meticulously managed to ensure a balanced crop
was ripened during the cooler and consistent vintage of 2017. Picking of our
best chardonnay commenced on the 8th of March and was completed on the
24th of March.
Bottling
Bottled in November 2017 under screwcap into a premium burgundy bottle.
This closure should extend the cellaring life of the wine by reducing subtle
oxidative robbing flavour.
Winemaking
The hand-picked fruit was held in cold storage overnight to eliminate the need
for must chilling. After pressing off skins and separating press fractions, the
juice was allowed to settle naturally before racking to achieve a desired level of
solids. The juice was then transferred to French oak barriques and puncheons
to commence fermentation with a mix of inoculated and wild fermentation.
44% of the wine was put through malo-lactic fermentation for the sole purpose
of reducing the higher than normal malic acid levels in the juice, which was due
to the cooler than normal growing season. Stirring of the yeast lees continued
for seven months before the wine was allowed to clarify and rest on lees.
Aging
8 months in 25% new and 75% 1-4 year old French Barriques
Appearance
Pale straw with hints of green.
Food Pairing
Pumpkin ravioli, grilled veal chops.
