This cool-climate Chardonnay displays white peach, citrus and toasty oak aromas. A complex amalgam of flavour derives from elements of fruit, oak and secondary characters with the lees stirring providing the palate with a nutty richness. The cool nights of the 2017 vintage provided the wine with fresh salivating acidity.

Sourced from selected vineyard sites across Marlborough, including Leefield Station, The Slopes & Fairleigh Estate vineyards.

Vintage 2017 delivered a smaller than predicted crop for Marlborough’s wine industry, ensuring the vibrant, fruit-driven wines the region is so well known for, were achieved. Summer started early with warm weather leading to good flavour development, indicating the potential for great wine. Vineyard staff and winemakers spent plenty of time in those early days of the season, working out how to get the best balance from the vines – and ultimately into the wines. Nature threw in some challenges along the way, with a major November earthquake, a cool and windy summer and stints of rain in Autumn. Rigorous vineyard management and careful harvest decisions have ensured Marisco wines have an exciting spectrum of flavours from the harvested grapes. A growing year of challenges – resulting in wines to remember!

A mixture of hand and machine-harvested fruit; the hand-harvested fruit was gently whole-bunch pressed into oak puncheons, while the machine-harvested fruit was destemmed and pressed into tanks to settle before fermentation. All parcels underwent a cool, primary fermentation in French Oak Puncheons (30% new) after which they were aged for 10 months on lees. Regular stirring of barrels promoted an increase in mouth feel, weight and complexity. During its aging period, around 75% of the wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation rounding out the palate.

The de Mariscos descended from a William de Marisco (approximately AD 1100), who was said to be one of the 35 illegitimate children of King Henry the First - thereby marking him, The King’s Bastard.

Food Pairing: This Chardonnay pairs well with most white meats and seafood. Try it with pesto and feta stuffed chicken breast, chargrilled vegetables and freshly dug new potatoes.