• Balanced oak
• Apricot & peach
• Toasty popcorn & créme brulée
• Creamy & rounded

"Beautifully styled and gorgeously elegant, the wine shows apricot, rockmelon, vanilla and roasted cashew characters with a hint of popcorn. It's succulent and supple in the mouth delivering excellent weight and roundness, combined with creamy texture and well-pitched acidity, finishing persistent and highly appealing" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2021

An elegant, summery wine with a light golden straw colour. Aromas of sun ripened yellow peach, honeydew melon, fig and grapefruit pith are touched with a hint of roasted nuts and créme brulée. These fruit flavours follow through from the nose and are underscored by toasty popcorn and balanced oak. Medium to full bodied, supple and well defined, the Reserve Chardonnay finishes with a fine creamy texture supported by a well balanced acidity.

Toi Toi Reserve Chardonnay grapes are sourced from the Brunton Road Vineyard located on the Patutahi Plateau. This is one of the youngest growing areas within the Gisborne appellation and is already showing significant promise. The Kaiti clay loam soils in this growing area have produced premium, richly flavoured wines – Golden Queen peach, Ripe citrus, and fig notes. It is generally warmer and drier than other Gisborne growing areas.

Reserve Chardonnay grapes are harvested mid-March in the cooler evening or early morning. The fruit is taken directly to a local winery for juicing. The fruit is gently pressed, and the free-run juice is left to settle for 24 hours separate from the pressings. It is then racked along with a portion of the grape solids to provide weight and texture. The pressings are hyper-oxidized to reduce phenolics and add weight to the final wine. The juice is chilled and transported overnight to our winery in Marlborough.

Fermentation takes place in 500 litre puncheons. A fairly high percentage of solids are retained to help build weight and add texture. Post fermentation the wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation to soften and round out the palate. Regular lees stirring adds a creamy layer of complexity. After 6 months in oak the wine is racked and blended. Gentle fining smooths and enhances the final product.

From snow capped mountains to endless coastline, the native Toi Toi expresses itself distinctively across New Zealand. This adaptability is the inspiration for these wines - crafted from New Zealand’s best grape growing regions. Proudly family owned and sustainably produced – protecting our lands for future generations.