Wine Note

The grapes were hand harvested and the juice partially clarified and fermented in new and seasoned French oak barriques.  The wine was lees stirred weekly for 10 months resulting in a complex and delicate wine displaying light grapefruit aromas and as elegantly textured palate.

Harvest

The fruit was handpicked from our Stony Bay vineyard.  A small portion of first crop fruit was handpicked from our Havelock vineyard.  Due to the prolonged ripening period over early autumn the fruit quality was outstanding.

Vinification

All batches were whole bunch pressed.  The juice was lightly clarified.  The juice was inoculated with yeast and began fermentation in tank before it was transferred to wood at 10 brix.  A small portion of the blend underwent MLF in barrel.  At the completion of fermentation the wine was left on gross lees with weekly lees stirring for 10 months.  After maturation the wine was racked from barrels, fined and stabilised prior to bottling.

Composition

100% Chardonnay

Bottling

The wine was bottled on the 22 March 2001.

Sensory

Colour:  Brilliant clarity.  Pale straw with bright green hue. 
Aroma:  Intense ripe stone fruit with fresh citrus overtones.  Complex subtle oak. 
Palate:  Medium bodied.  Ripe sweet fruit. This wine has developed beautifully in the bottle and is displaying its gold medal characters. Biscuity oak from lees aging comes through on the finish.  Overall a very elegant and classy wine.

Cellaring

Best from September 2001 through to 2004.