"Richly fruited and generously expressed, the bouquet shows grilled peach, mango, hazelnut and vanilla characters with subtle spicy complexity. The palate is succulent and beautifully rounded with creamy texture and nicely pitched acidity, finishing long and smooth. Wonderfully flavoursome and highly enjoyable. At its best: now to 2019" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2018

"Bright, light golden-yellow colour with light lemon-green hues, pale edged.  The nose has a full and deep heart of ripe white and yellow stone fruits along with nutty oak notes, unveiling hints of lemon-curd MLF and a suggestion of oxidative detail.  The aromatics possess a steeliness.  Medium-full bodied, the palate has up-front flavours of yellow stone fruits along with nutty and toasty oak with hints of lemon-curd MLF.  The flavours are mouth filling and possess good presence.  The wine has vigour and energy and fresh acidity lends energy and cut, carrying to a full robust finish.  This is a fulsome, up-front Chardonnay with yellow stone fruit and nutty flavours on a vigorous palate with crisp acid cut.  Match with grilled and roasted seafood and poultry dishes over the next 3-4 years.  Clone 95 and 15 fruit from the ‘Paritua’ vineyard, fermented in stainless-steel with 20% in French oak to 13.5% alc., the wine aged several months on lees, and approx. 20% undergoing MLF" Raymond Chan, Feb 2018

The 2016 Stone Paddock Chardonnay is a lightly oaked wine. Showing ripe tropical fruit of lychee, green melon, and cantaloupe, citrus blossom and peach aromas with nougat and vanilla notes. The gentle influence of oak accentuates the sweet melon and peach flavours, The texture is creamy and luscious with a full rich tropical fruit finish.

A cool, late spring meant a very late beginning to the season was followed by a very warm summer and early autumn period. Unusually consistent warm January and February temperatures led to record Grower Degree Days in that period and for the entire vintage, 2016 ended up having Grower Degree Days rivalling the very warm 2014 and 2009 harvest. It was a very good all-round vintage across the different varieties.

The Chardonnay (clone 95 and 15), grown on a standard two cane canopy, is planted on the most western part of the Paritua vineyard on Marekakaho Road in the Bridge Pa Triangle wine region. Fruit exposure is limited to achieve excellent flavour and phenolics balance.

Several batches of machine and hand harvested fruit were de-stemmed to press. After a slow pressing cycle the juice was settled and then fermented in both stainless-steel tanks and French oak barriques (20%). We use selected yeast strains to create complexity and depth. The wine is kept on yeast lees for several months before blending, fining and filtration.  Recommend dinking now though will age well if cellared correctly up to 2022.

Food Pairing: This Chardonnay is a refreshing style and will be a great accompaniment with seafood and poultry dishes, and with time it will grow to a well-rounded wine to be drunk with white meat and game fowl dishes.