Gibbston Valley China Terrace Single Vineyard Central Otago Chardonnay 2018

Description

• Subtle oak
• Golden peach
• White florals
• Creamy fruit

Pale straw colour. Some golden peach, honeydew and sweet white florals on the nose. The palate expands subtly with quiet grace. The impression is of finesse and elegance with layers of creamy fruit. The wine will open up over the next 8-10 years.

The China Terrace Vineyard is located in the Bendigo subregion of Central Otago. Gently sloped on the lower edge of a large terrace (named China Terrace), it unfolds Pinot Noir and Chardonnay over some 6 hectares. Being over 320m above sea level, it retains a coolness relative to Bendigo’s natural warmth. This, and the complex accumulation of loess, clay and schist in its soil, gives wines of fresh, bright complexity.

A year with record heat, 2018 was notable for its extremes, and early harvest. Warm and settled in spring, there was rapid canopy establishment, and an early onset of flowering. A good, even set resulted, already a month ahead of normal. The summer months were consistently hot, with temperatures regularly touching the high 30’s and unusually warm nights. From February, periodic rain gave much needed relief, and milder conditions followed through into harvest. The fruit was harvested 3-4 weeks earlier than normal. A frenetic growing season that required vigilance and attention - but one that has produced diverse, quality wines full of ripe expression.

Fruit is encouraged to ripen evenly, and picked when flavours are in the citrus / peach / mineral spectrum. The winemaking is simple: hand picked fruit is very gently pressed to a maximum yield of 550 L/tonne, then sent directly to barrel on full solids for fermentation. Fermentation and MLF are indigenous. The wine spends 10 months in 25% new oak; with a mix of puncheons and barriques being used.