Nose
Delightful scents of white field flowers, pear drop essence and citrus oils enriched with minerals, nutmeg spice and caramel.
Palate
From the fermentation and malo-lactic in oak, the palate’s pliable core of citrus, peach, honeydew and dried pear are moulded around a fine nut-meal texture and crème brulee richness. A distinct and soft mineral acidity finishes the wine.
Growing Conditions
A winter of inadequate rainfall was followed by a wet and cold spring which reduced yield due to poor flowering conditions. Whilst the cool start to summer further delayed ripening, the benign warm weather of autumn allowed for even fruit ripeness across all varieties. The resultant white wines are subtle in fruit flavour and fine in structure.
Winemaking
All the individual vineyards that contribute to the Flint Rock Chardonnay are vinified separately. Each batch is hand-picked at between 12.2 to 12.5 ºBe and cooled over night before sorting and whole bunch pressing to extract the free run juice. Fermentation occurs in a combination of older French oak and tank. Temperature of fermentation is controlled between 18ºC to 22ºC and the lees are stirred regularly from the end of fermentation and throughout the malo-lactic. After 12 months in barrel, the wine is blended to tank and held for 2 months prior to fining and filtration. Bottling occurs in May of the year post the vintage and is released after sufficient bottle maturation.
Food Pairing
Char-grilled marron, smoked chicken salad, brie and pistachio nuts.
