• Toasty oak
• Vanilla spice & crème brûlée
• Ripe fig
• Subtle ginger

"This is stunningly attractive; the inviting bouquet shows nectarine, fig, lemon peel, vanilla and roasted cashew characters, followed by a concentrated palate that is wonderfully weighted and flavoursome. The wine offers impressive complexity and multi-layered mouthfeel, finishing impressively long and delectable. At its best: now to 2022" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2019

"Still youthful, the 2018 vintage (4.5*) was grown principally in the Ure Valley, south of the Awatere Valley, and fermented in French oak barriques (just over 50 per cent new.) Bright, light lemon/green, it shows obvious potential, with fresh, strong, grapefruit-like flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, lively acidity, and very good intensity, vigour and complexity. Fine value" Michael Cooper

"Light pineapple on the nose with beautiful integration, alluring mineral streak and a delicate, zesty finish" UK International Wine Competition, 2020

A deep gold colour in the glass, with vibrant aromas of hints of vanilla spice and freshly picked figs. A textured and rich Chardonnay showing notes of ripe fig, vanilla spice and crème brûlée. Subtle hints of ginger and cardamom lead to a long, toasty finish.

The Hatters Hill Chardonnay was harvested predominantly from a small vineyard in the Ure Valley, located in the Southern tip of Marlborough. This balance was hand selected from small parcels of grapes from the southern side of the Wairau Valley. The combination of sites fuses together the Ure Valley's subtle minerality with the Wairau Valley's rich and expressive characteristics, making for a complex and bold Marlborough Chardonnay.

The Chardonnay grapes were lighty pressed and trasferred into 50% new French and 50% old French oak barrels. Fermented with a specially selected yeast strain, the grapes then went through malolactic fermentation and were left on the lees for ten months in barrel, with regular stirring to enhance the creamy characteristics. Winemaker Heather Stewart then selected her favourite barrels for blending prior to lightly filtering and followed by gentle bottling.

Food Pairing: Drinking beautifully from release and will continue to mature over the next five to eight years. Excellently paired with a creamy risotto topped with Parmesan and crushed pine nuts.