Fruit intensity and flavour complexity are determined in the vineyard; here, we exploit known flavour differences between Chardonnay clones and two distinctly different vineyard sites. The Wairau River Valley; has a gravel-rich, free-draining and devigourating soil profile. Our Southern Valleys vineyard is an excellent site with geologically older soils composed of crushed river stones intermixed with clay.

The grapes were machine harvested over a 7 day period, with 100% of the juice being put into new and older oak barriques for high solids primary and secondary malolactic fermentation prior to 10 month yeast autolysis maturation.

Analysis at bottling

TA 6.2 g/l | Alc 13.5%