Chardonnay 2021

Tasting Notes

A shimmering golden lime hue introduces this vibrant Chardonnay, with a nose that shows distinct minerality, delicate jasmine and honeysuckle florals, and subtle notes of toasted caramel, white peach, and roasted fig.

The palate delivers flinty, chalky tension softened by a silken texture—honeydew melon, fig, pear and preserved lemon build across the mid-palate, underpinned by a refreshing line of lime-driven acidity. A supremely balanced wine, with elegant length and quiet power.

Accolades

• Cameron Douglas MS: 95+ pts
  "Pure, bright, new and focused bouquet. Scents of fresh white peach and grapefruit, California stone fruits, lees and wood combinations deliver shape, form and complexity. A delicious wine on the palate with a silk touch, a core of white-fleshed fruits and citrus, judicious use of oak with fine tannins matched perfectly by the acid line and a delicate flinty reduction. Well made, complex and lengthy. Best drinking from late 2024 through 2030."

• Bob Campbell MW: 92 pts
  "Vibrant, high-energy Chardonnay with grapefruit, green apple, oyster shell, cashew nut and almond flavours supported by fine tannins and crisp acidity. A textural wine with the potential to develop well with moderate bottle age."

In the Vineyard

Once again, the effects of Covid lockdowns saw a smaller team at work in the vineyard, with no international backpacker support. Winter pruning, done entirely by hand, was particularly demanding. An unusually early budburst led to an extended flowering period, echoed across New Zealand’s wine regions. Veraison arrived early too, prompting the unprecedented step of netting even before the end of December.

Our vineyard team continued their meticulous canopy management—removing excess foliage by hand to optimise airflow and sunlight. Years of applying organic soil-enhancing products are paying off, yielding healthy, resilient vines. Although the drought of 2020 did not repeat, a warm summer and careful monitoring resulted in an exceptional crop. Yields, however, were approximately 20% lower than the previous year due to a cooler spring during flowering.

In the Winery

The hand-harvested Chardonnay fruit was whole-bunch pressed, cold settled, and racked into one- and two-year-old French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine remained on lees through full malolactic fermentation, then aged in barrel for around 12 months before bottling.

Cellaring Potential

In stable cellaring conditions, this wine will continue to evolve over the next 6–7 years, revealing increasing depth and complexity.

Vintage Notes

Harvest Period: 9 February 2021
Bottling: 8 March 2022
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.5% ABV
Total Acidity: 6.15 g/L
pH: 3.14
Residual Sugar: 4 g/L
Closure: Screw cap
Bottle Size: 750ml
Production: Limited release of 74 dozen bottles