Čuvar Iris Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2024

Description

Hazelnut, Oak, Peach

With his inspiring energy and lifelong dedication to pioneering progression in the wine industry, Čuvar is the vision of legendary wine entrepreneur, Sir George Fistonich. Sir George founded Čuvar Winery to help preserve and nurture the essence of New Zealand fine wine.

Layers of white peach, nectarine and lemon curd are complemented by a touch of roasted hazelnut from careful oak integration. This Chardonnay is medium weight, driven by the pure fruit synonymous with great Hawke’s Bay vintages. A creamy mouthfeel comes from the influence of lees contact while oak is present yet restrained. Bright and chalky with a long focused finish and balanced acidity.

The 2024 Hawke's Bay vintage was characterised by a cooler, wetter flowering period which reduced yields, but a warm, dry, and low-humidity summer followed, leading to a high-quality harvest with "beautiful intensity and ripeness". The season was less challenging than the previous year and allowed for unhurried picking. Picked early in the morning to retain freshness, pressed to tank for a short settling period before fermentation.

The remainder of the growing season was near perfect, with warm days and cool nights allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The result is a collection of wines defined by remarkable vibrancy and depth.

A blend of barrel and tank fermentation. A portion was pressed direct to barrel with high solids and natural yeasts. 24% new French oak barriques and hogsheads. Lees stirred for several months to aid palate weight and complexity. Approximately 80% malolactic fermentation. 10 months on lees prior to blending

Food Pairing: Our Iris Chardonnay goes beautifully with caramelised savoury dishes. We are particularly fond of glazed salmon, roast beetroot and goats cheese salad and manuka smoked chicken on freekeh.