Collaboration Wines Hawke's Bay Aurulent Chardonnay 2017

Description

"Grown in the Havelock North and Te Awanga districts, the powerful 2017 vintage (5*) was fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak casks (22 per cent new), and given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. Bright, light lemon/green, it is a weighty, rich wine, with very generous, ripe stonefruit flavours, hints of butter and nuts, excellent complexity, and a northern warmth and roundness. Full of youthful vigour, it's a very harmonious wine, likely to be at its best 2020+" Michael Cooper, 2018

“Abstract artwork reflects the rich, complex, textural wines I strive to craft in collaboration with growers of the finest vineyard sites in Hawke’s Bay" Julianne Brogden, Winemaker

Straw gold in the glass with a green hue. Warm, riper, stone fruit with a hint of butterscotch, mealy and yeasty characters and an underlying streak of salinity. Finishing with a hint of French oak. Elegant, rich, warm stone fruit, silken texture, layers of complexity, finishing with a fresh salinity and hint of lemon pith on the palate.

The 2017 season began as an ideal growing season.  Moderate temperatures during spring with minimal frost risk and good flowering led to an extremely dry and warm summer. Above average temperatures in January and February ensured we were on track for a great vintage. March, April and May brought about unsettled weather with high humidity and heavy rainfall. Picking decisions were challenging, with the need to watch the daily weather reports closely and keep a close eye on the vineyards. My resulting Chardonnay’s show evidence of a warm growing season, showing beautiful riper characters yet an air of restraint due to how the season evolved.