Wine Note

A beautifully balanced chardonnay with hints of citrus and nuts. Simple and fresh, perfect as an aperitif or with light dinner. A lovely bouquet of grapefruit and stonefruit with a suggestion of cedary oak and butter. Try with grilled scallops and a creamy mash.

Fruit

100% Gimblett Gravels

Alcohol Content

13.5%

Harvest

An Indian summer in Hawkes Bay in 2004 ensured that chardonnay was at optimum ripeness and perfectly balanced.

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 for partial barrel fermentation. A selection of new and seasoned French 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.

Composition

Matariki's Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Chardonnay

Barrel Percentage

A selection of new and seasoned oak was used for fermentation and for aging.

Bottling

This wine was bottled on the 1st February 2005