2018 Whitehaven Marlborough Chardonnay
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TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Mid straw with a bright clarity.
Aroma / Bouquet: Peach, mandarin and nectarine fruit flavours complexed with meally, hazelnut and butter notes. In the background there is also a mineral, flinty character.
Palate: A medium bodied wine with a creamy texture and soft acidity. The fruit and mineral flavours are well integrated and persist on the long, cleansing finish.
Cellaring: We recommend drinking our Chardonnay in the first 4 to 6 years after the vintage, but the wine has the structure and closure to allow continued development with careful cellaring.
Food Match: Our Chardonnay is a food-friendly wine. A perfect match for Mediterranean food, pork or chicken pies and creamy mushroom pastas.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 13.0
Residual Sugar: 1.2
Titratable Acidity: 5.0
pH: 3.50
Harvest Dates: 19th March to 3rd April, 2018
Grape Growing: The vines are trained with two canes on a vertical trellis. Balanced pruning, shoot thinning, tucking and trimming are done to achieve an open, healthy canopy. Budburst was slightly earlier than normal and the weather slightly warmer than average. The early part of the season was notable for no frost events. In November, the weather became dry and the timing of the season returned to the long term average with some cooler days. Hot, dry weather in early December, resulted in a very good fruit set, and a rapid advancement in vine growth. The remainder of December and January were very hot. February was wetter with two ex-tropical cyclones adding some disease pressure. However, in March and April, the region was exposed to perfect late season ripening conditions of warm, sunny days and cool nights, resulting in intense fruit flavours.
Winemaking: Most of the fruit was hand-picked and immediately whole cluster pressed. The heavy pressings were kept separate to minimise harsh phenolics. The juice was lightly settled before being inoculated for fermentation. Halfway through fermentation, the juice was transferred to French oak barrels of which 17% were new. Malo-lactic fermentation was carried out in the barrels during the 11 month maturation to aid texture and richness on the palate.
Winemaker: Sam Smail and Diana Katardzhieva
Vineyards:
Whitehaven, Pauls Road, Renwick
Rothay, Wratts Road, Rapaura
The Wrekin, Wrekin Road, Brancott
ACCOLADES
- 2020 Natalie Maclean: 89/100 Points
- 2019 Joelle Thomson: 18.5/20 Points
- 2019 Michael Cooper: 4.5 Stars
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'An inviting bouquet of chardonnay with aromas suggesting cashew nut, then peach and apricot. Sweet citrus of Meyer lemon then vanilla and mild toasty - oak scents. Dry on the palate with plenty of weight and richness as well as flavours that reflect the nose. Balance and well made. Ready to enjoy with or without food. Best drinking from today and through 2022.' Cameron Douglas, 91/100 pts
