2021 Kōparepare Marlborough Chardonnay
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TASTING NOTE
For every bottle of Kōparepare sold, we donate to LegaSea, a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring the abundance, biodiversity and health of New Zealand’s marine environment.
Colour / Appearance: Mid straw, with a bright clarity
Aroma / Bouquet: Elegant aromas of ripe citrus, peach, and nectarine overlaid with subtle butter notes from malolactic fermentation and some savoury toastiness from French oak barrel aging
Palate: A medium to full bodied wine with a soft, creamy texture and well-ripened stone fruit flavours, finishing fresh and clean.
Cellaring: This wine is ready to be drunk now or within five years of the vintage date.
Food Match: Our Chardonnay is a great partner for sustainably sourced seafood.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 14.0%
Residual Sugar: 3.1 g/L
Acidity: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.28
VITICULTURE
Harvest Dates: 16th – 24th March 2021
Grape Growing: The fruit for this wine was sourced from our winery home block vineyard at Pauls Rd (76%) and Rothay Vineyard at Wratts Road (24%). Most of the vines are pruned to two canes on a vertical shoot positioned trellis. Shoot thinning, leaf plucking, and trimming are used to achieve balanced vines, a healthy canopy and clean fruit.
Climate: 2021 will be remembered as a season of two halves. The early part of the growing season was marked by two severe frost burn events which affected much of the region to varying degrees. This was followed by variable cool and wet weather through flowering, resulting in fewer berries setting per bunch, further reducing crops after the frost damage. Post Christmas however, we could not have asked for a better season. The weather remained warm, but not hot, and we had beautiful diurnal shift leading into harvest, retaining freshness and energy in the fruit, and providing the perfect conditions for flavour development.
WINEMAKING
Winemaking: 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 racked and inoculated for fermentation. Halfway through fermentation, the wine was transferred to French oak, predominantly (90%) 500L puncheons, of which 21% were new. Malo-lactic fermentation was carried out in all the barrels. Lees aged for 10 months to aid texture and richness on the palate.
ACCOLADES
- "This is immediately appealing on the nose, showing golden peach, vanilla, cashew and citrus peel aromas, leading to a silky-smooth palate offering succulent fruit flavours with creamy mouthfeel." 91/100 Points (4.5 Stars), Sam Kim, NZ
- "Bright, even, pale yellow. The nose is softly full and elegant, a creamy veil overlying stonefruit, citrus and zest, delicate spice and a subtle hint of almond. Medium-bodied, aromas of peach and pear interweaved with lemon zest, white spice, almond and a creamy nuance. The wine is fresh with lively acidity and crisp fruit; subtle layers of spice and almonds add complexity and elegance. This crisp, clean Chardonnay shows bright fruit and a harmonious layer of spice and nutty details" 90/100 Points (4 Stars), Candice Chow (Raymond Chan Wine Reviews)
