• Stonefruit
• Tropicals
• White peach
• Smoky French oak

This Chardonnay from the Moutere Hills region in Nelson displays bright stonefruit and sweet citrus aromas while the palate shows juicy tropical fruit, white peach and hints of soft smoky French oak. Full bodied with a harmonious structure, this wine leads to a delightfully smooth and persistent dry finish.

After careful hand-harvesting, the grapes for this wine were gently wholebunched pressed by our modern membrane press. The resulting juice was then moved without settling to a selection of both new and old French oak barrels for fermentation. Specially chosen yeasts were used to inoculate most of the barrels, with a small proportion left to undergo a natural or ‘wild’ fermentation with indigenous yeasts. After fermentation was complete each barrel underwent twice weekly batonage (or lees stirring) promoting yeast autolysis which adds both body and complexity to the wine. Malolactic fermentation naturally occurred once the weather warmed in the spring, with barrel batches carefully monitored during this time. Once the secondary fermentation had finished each barrel was individually assessed and the final blend constructed and readied for bottling in late March 2019.

Grapes for this wine are grown entirely on the stunning Kono vineyard located in the upper Moutere area of Nelson. The 2017/2018 growing season in Nelson began with very warm and dry conditions, enabling excellent flowering and fruitset in the vines. Much needed rain fell in mid to late January, however the much heavier rain that fell between February and March provided challenges for the vineyard team, with record levels seen over the first three months of the year. Meticulous canopy management in the period leading up to harvest combined with the excellent early season conditions meant that exceptional flavours were seen in the grapes when harvested, with overall yields down on previous years.

Food Pairing: Enjoy with a cheese platter or a creamy mushroom pasta dish.