The 2023 growing season was the fourth cool season in a row. These 2020- 2023 La Nina seasons will be remembered for their challenges, but also the lovely elegant wines they have produced. Cool is one thing, but wet and humid is another. Extreme October-December rains and high humidity kept the vineyard team on it’s toes. Keeping the vineyard disease free and balanced during this period was the key to this wonderful vintage. From Jan-April we saw welcome dry periods with all fruit picked between March 10th and April 4th.

The appearance is crystalline, a brilliant pale straw. Delicate white blossom aromas are overlayed with fresh lime and just a hint of spice. It’s all zesty lemon and yellow grapefruit on the palate with notes of crunchy peach and chalky limestone with a delicate, gravelly mineral line. There is real fruit concentration and power in this wine. The 2023 Estate Chardonnay delivers precision and tension with mouthwatering acidity and a powerful drive to finish.

On the 15th March the chardonnay was handpicked from the low yielding middle and top part of our unique single site. The soil is more shallow and gravelly here and flavours are subtle, powerful and there is a real minerality derived from the soil. After hand-picking, the grapes were cooled overnight then whole-bunch pressed the following morning. This pristine juice was then transferred with full solids to French oak barriques and puncheons (30% new) for primary fermentation with indigenous yeast. Following this, the wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation before spending 9 months maturing in the same oak. 20% of the blend was from the Mendoza clone grafted onto 23 year old Paulsen rootstocks in 2019 adding power, tension and complexity. The wine was blended and bottled with on 13th of December 2023.

Ideal match with King George Whiting, homemade tartare, pommes dauphine