Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"Pale lemon in colour with aromas of ripe nectarine and pink grapefruit. Toasted almonds and bran appear with some fine blossom too. Rich mouth-feel with exotic spice and lemon pith, balanced with a lengthy mineral spine.
2020 was a great year for Chardonnay in North Canterbury, an early warm spring came without frost followed by good flowering. A gentle Autumn allowed even ripening before harvest. Organically managed, the combination of undervine cultivation & fewer irrigation cycles has driven the Chardonnay roots deep into the soil.
Our Chardonnay is a blend of two main vineyard blocks. One block is limestone dominant, while the other is clay. The two clones, Mendoza & Clone 95, flourish differently in both blocks. Mendoza is the cornerstone of our Chardonnay. The clone is known for its small, open grape bunches, intense fruit-driven flavours and chalky minerality.
We hand-picked our Chardonnay blocks and processed without the use of additives. We pressed our Limestone block as whole bunches and pressed our Clay block after foot crushing. Each block was fermented separately in French oak barriques without intervention, allowing the wild yeasts and bacteria to perform primary and malo-lactic fermentation through to completion. Barrel aged for 10 months before estate bottled without fining."
Rated Outstanding & 96/100 Cameron Douglas MS, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"A complete wine on the nose and palate with a bouquet of minerals. white peach and fresh grapefruit flesh. The lees and barrel work combine to layer in complexity from spice to gunflint. On the palate – an equally complete wine with flavours that reflect the nose, but also a texture and mouthfeel that lingers well after the wine is swallowed (or expectorated). Completely delicious with a fine tannin texture contrasted by fruit and mineral, a true sense of place and time with best drinking from late 2022 through 2030."
4 Stars Cuisine Chardonnay Tasting, August 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Pale in the glass with gorgeous aromas of ripe stone fruit against bright zingy citrus on the nose. The palate is rich with more stone fruit against oak spice and fresh white blossom characters that delight. Complex and well balanced. "
Reviews for the 2019 vintage below…
5 Stars & 95/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"A wonderfully styled and expressed chardonnay, showing grilled stone fruit, fig, lemon peel and vanilla characters with nuances of cashew and brioche. It's concentrated and richly textured on the palate delivering expansive mouthfeel and creamy texture, leading to an impressively long refined finish. At its best: now to 2027."
4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper (2019 Vintage)
"The 2019 vintage of this organically certified wine was hand-picked, barrel-fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (20 per cent new). A powerful, pale gold wine, it is fragrant, weighty and fleshy, with rich, ripe stonefruit flavours, slightly toasty notes, a vague hint of honey, and strong drink-young appeal. Best drinking 2022+."
5 Stars & 19-/20 (95) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, February 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Bright, light yellow with some depth and a gold hue, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is gently full with power, apricot aroma, lemon tart melded with nutty and toasty oak elements, unfolding a flinty mineral edge. Medium-full bodied, well-rounded aromas of apricot and peach, entwined with lemon tart, nougat, toasty oak; flinty edge linger on the finish with spices. The wine shows multi-layers of complexity; pristine fruit and the barrel elements are in a happy marriage, elevating both components in harmony. The creamy mouthfeel flows along a delicate, chalky thread, balanced on a flattering acid precision. This is an opulent style Chardonnay with multi-layers of interest, chalky minerals and pristine fruit concentration. Match with scampi and crayfish macaroni & cheese over the next 6+ years. Handpicked, wild fermented to 13.5% alc, full MLF, aged in French oak for 10 months, 20% new barriques. BioGro organic certified. Vegan friendly."