"Grapes from hilltop volcanic sites were whole-bunch pressed to preserve their minerality. At the same time, intensely flavoured grapes from clay-rich hillside sites were given greater skin contact to extract more flavour. These two parcels were combined to create this rich, ripe and full-flavoured chardonnay with golden queen peach, mango, pineapple, vanilla, spice and nutty oak flavours. A blockbuster wine with impressive complexity. Ageing: now to 2022" Bob Campbell, Master Wine, August / September 2017

"Full, even, light golden-yellow colour with a lighter edge. The nose is full and softly voluminous with harmoniously layered aromas of white and yellow stonefruits entwined with an amalgam of savoury nutty and creamy barrelferment aroma along with flinty complexities. The aromatics build in depth and density with aeration, the complexities well-integrated. Medium-full bodied, the palate has a firm core, immediately opening with mouthfilling flavours of white and yellow stonefruits layered seamlessly with nutty notes and subtle gunflint and mineral notes. The mouthfeel balances creamy barrel-ferment textures with a fine phenolic-textured line, and fresh, lacy acidity. The wine has power and the palate flows to a long, lingering, fine-textured, dry, nutty finish. This is a firm and powerful Chardonnay with harmoniously mouthfilling flavours of stonefruits, nuts, flint and complexing minerals on a fine-textured palate. Match with poultry and pork dishes over the next 5-6 years. A selection of the finest barrels. Fruit from hilltop volcanic sites WBP, and from sheltered clay sites foot-stomped with skin contact, fully barrelfermented by indigenous yeasts with high solids to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 32% new French oak puncheons, avoiding MLF" Raymond Chan, April 2017 

"A magnificently styled and beautifully composed chardonnay; the complex bouquet shows grapefruit, nectarine, vanilla and hazelnut characters with gunsmoke undertones. The palate is concentrated and impressively weighted, and displays rounded mouthfeel and creamy texture, brilliantly framed by bright acidity. This is multi-layered and lingering with rich savoury notes. At its best: now to 2021" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, April 2017

Valhalla 2016 is one of the best vintages of Chardonnay we have produced. Aromas of juicy nectarine flesh combine with charred apricot skin, lime, fresh herbs and the scent of Crème brûlée. The palate has structure from fresh acidity and salivating tannin with flavours of nectarine,salt, lime and ginger coupled with the bitterness of caramelised sugar; all contributing to a wonderfully flavoursome wine of terrific length and character suitable for drinking or for storing away on the cellar.

The shining and golden hall in Norse Mythology where the souls of fallen Viking warriors chosen by Odin feasted with the gods, the name Valhalla is conferred upon our finest barrels of Chardonnay selected each vintage by our winemaker.

Vintage 2016 began with a settled and dry Spring resulting in great flowering and fruit set. The settled weather continued up until the New Year when wet
weather patterns became prevalent which continued into the harvest months. Careful attention to detail in the vineyard paid off with astonishing fruit
quality in what was undoubtedly a most challenging growing season. Our Chardonnay vineyards are categorised by being either hilltop with volcanic deposits in the soil which are also cooled by a combination of elevation and sea breezes, or steep sheltered sites in the valleys which are warmer and rich in clay. The hilltop ‘volcanic’ sites are gently whole bunch pressed to preserve their minerality whereas the richer more powerful fruit coming off the sheltered hillsides are crushed by foot and left to soak on their skins before pressing. After pressing all parcels undergo wild fermentation on ‘full solids’ without any racking of the juice, temperature is unregulated, progression to dryness is less than 10 days. This fermentation style contributes interesting savoury romatics while the juice solids contribute tannin to the wine. Following fermentation the wine was left in barrel, un-sulphured on gross lees until late ecember when they received sulphur. In the New Year barrels were tasted again to confirm the blend and then bottled pre-vintage. The balance that the two distinct groups of vineyards create is a wine that is powerful and rich (sheltered clay sites) yet tempered with fine acidity and aromatic high notes (volcanic), complemented by a certain level of savouriness, leading into tight pithy grapefruit-like tannin combining with fine barrel derived oak tannin.