Fruit

100% Chardonnay

Alcohol Content

13.0%

Harvest

A delicious chardonnay produced from the warm 2003 vintage in Hawkes Bay. During November of 2002 Hawkes Bay suffered from a particularly severe frost which caused the yields from our vines to be dramatically reduced.

Vinification

The individual batches of grapes were processed separately. Some of the fruit was whole bunch pressed if it was hand picked while a portion of it was machine harvested so it was whole berry pressed The juice was settled overnight and then racked to tank to be inoculated with selected yeasts. Some batches were fermented in tank until about half the sugar had been fermented and then cooled and put to barrel to complete fermentation. A selection of new and seasoned oak was used for fermentation and for aging. Some of the wine was left on gross lies and stirred weekly for about 5 months to increase texture and mouthfeel. The wine was aged in barrel for about nine months before being fined and filtered and prepared for bottling.

Bottling

This wine was bottled in February 2004

Sensory

Colour 
Pale to medium straw with brilliant clarity. 
Aroma 
A lovely bouquet of grapefruit and stonefruit with a suggestion of cedary oak and butter. 
Palate 
A beautifully balanced chardonnay with hints of citrus and nuts. Simple and fresh, perfect as an aperitif or with light dinner. 

Cellaring

This wine is ready for immediate consumption or cellar for 2-3 years.