| 2016 Chardonnay | |
 | Size: 750ml Tasting NotesTropical fruits, nashi pear and lime on the nose, along with nougat and passionfruit. The palate is round and smooth with lean citrus notes softened by white peach and a touch of cream from the oak. Food MatchingExcellent with roast chicken complete with a sage and onion stuffing. A lovely complement to an Indian curry or a freshly caught fish. A nice match with moussaka. We have enjoyed it with a butternut and goats cheese pasta sauce and a smoked ocean trout nicoise salad. ViticultureOur Chardonnay has traditionally been a low yielding block. In 2015 we had trialled a new pruning technique of wrapping 2 canes along the fixed foliage wire above the main cordon to give us potentially more fruiting area. We had nevertheless never managed more than 18 tonnes yield from our 2.7 hectares (7 acres) until 2016 when the block surprised us with over 30 tonnes of excellent fruit. We suspect this was a once in ten year occasion as Chardonnay yields were high at all the nearby vineyards. We were very happy with this result as much of the rest of the vineyard had been destroyed by a late frost on the 27th November 2015. The Chardonnay being on a sloping block was luckily spared. February began with a spike of rain from a summer storm but continued very dry and without ever exceeding the high 30s helping to give the Chardonnay our signature slow-ripening. We harvested overnight on the 29th February to keep the grapes as cool as possible before transporting to the winery. WinemakingThe fruit was destemmed and sorted before being lightly basket pressed into an open fermenter. Post ferment about 15% of the wine was matured in new french oak on lees for about 6 months with regular lees stirring. This portion was allowed to undergo Malolactic fermentation (MLF). The balance was kept in tank and did not undergo MLF. The wine is drinking beautifully now but should also cellar well. |