• French oak
• Ripe lemon
• Grapefruit
• Creamy texture

"Seductively generous and comforting, the wine shows golden peach, pineapple, French vanilla, cedar and brioche characters, followed by a richly textured palate that's filled with ripe fruit intensity backed by creamy texture and refreshing acidity. Wonderfully rounded and satisfying. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2023

"Deep straw and polished lemon hues lead to a bouquet of complexity and power. Aromas of dark fleshed peach and ripe red apple, nectarine and toasty barrel, quince flesh and sweet roasted Brazil-nut new wood scents. Dry, full-bodied, flavours reflect the bouquet with power and intensity. Medium+ acidity and a satin - whipped cream touch then fine tannins from wood layer in. Flavours of stone fruits and white fleshed orchard harvest, vanilla and roasted nut flavours. A big wine with longevity on its side. Lengthy finish. A food wine for a while yet with best drinking from late 2024 through 2030" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Mar 2023

Pale in the glass as a young wine, but will develop pale gold tints with time in the bottle. Year after year the fruit from this vineyard exhibits ripe lemon and grapefruit characters. This is interwoven with subtle oak and lees and MLF derived creaminess. Harmony and balance have become two of the hallmarks of our Swamp Reserve style. This wine has fineness and structure, yet is also incredibly complex and long.

Swamp Reserve Chardonnay is made from the top block of the Middle Road Vineyard, where the vines produce the ripest and cleanest fruit. The grapes were harvested on March 3rd 2020 and transported to Auckland.

The grapes were pressed lightly to reduce phenolic extraction. The juice was settled before being transferred to a mix of new and seasoned (40:60) French oak barriques. Primary and Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel, with the wine aging a further 10 months on yeast lees. Barrels were individually selected for the blend based on their fruit purity and aromatic excellence. The blend was lightly filtered and bottled on May 19th 2021.

Food Pairing: Full flavoured chardonnays are great food wines, especially richly flavoured meat dishes such as lamb, pork and duck, and seafood - crayfish, salmon and trout. Accompanying sauces could include citrus, apple, nuts, mushrooms and aromatic herbs