Accolades
5 Stars Platters Guide 2017
Decanter April 2017 - 90 points
Tasting Notes
Very bright, polished platinum with green, vivacious hue. Complex, appealing nose with pear, citrus and floral notes developing into lemon cream, oatmeal and marzipan richness. On the palate the wine is medium bodied and linear but retains generous focused citrus fruit flavours with sleek, balanced and crisp acidity. The wine remains vivacious and fresh on the finish with clean citrus fruit and stony minerality. The wine has a long, very pleasant lingering finish.
Ageing Potential
Up to six years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.
Food Suggestions
Grilled fish, white and red meat. Ideally served at 12°-14°C.
In The Vineyard
Sourced from 3 vineyards on the Estate, the first planted in 1991 (23 years old in year of vintage) situated on alluvial Dundee soils which produces the rich textured mouth feel and minerality. The younger vineyards were planted in 2007 on Cartref soils giving a greater fruit expression. Crop thinning occurred at pruning and at veraison. Five separate picking stages at optimum ripeness.
About The Harvest
Hand picked. Partial whole bunch pressing and static settling overnight.
In The Cellar
Some solids remained in the juice. Transferred to 50% new tight grain Allier French Oak and 50% second fill 300 litre barrels for fermentation. Half of the barrels were inoculated with selected Chardonnay yeast, while the other half underwent un-inoculated, spontaneous fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was given a racking to remove heavy lees and returned to barrel for malo- lactic fermentation. The wine was barrel matured for 11 months before bottling.
