Gibbston Valley China Terrace Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2016

Description

"Fleshy without being at all fat, the 2016 China Terrace Chardonnay combines that ample feel on the palate with subtle, classy notes of pencil shavings, pear and vanilla. This fine, elegant Chardonnay, with a silky texture and a long finish, should drink well for another 3-4 years" Robert Parker

Pale straw colour in the glass with golden peach, honeydew and barrel aromas coming through on the nose. The palate unfulrls with beautiful delicacy, expanding generously yet with quiet grace. The impression is of finesse and elegance with layers of creamy fruit. A subtle minerality punctuates the finish.

Whilst successive cool fronts brought cool, frosty conditions to the Central Otago spring, the vintage saw generally warm conditions. Flowering was fast and very even, with excellent set. Cool conditions in January 2016 slowed growth, but record temperatures in February hastened development. March and April had sporadic rain events, that elongated ripening, ensuring a long extended opportunity for flavour development. Crop loads were slightly up due largely to even, uniform berry size and bunch weights. Picking began in mid March, with most vineyards being picked on schedule in early to mid April. Flavours were fulsome with lower than normal acid levels, matching lovely low sugar levels.

Fruit is encouraged to ripe 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 immediately to barrel on full solids for fermentation. Fermentation and MLF (100%) are indigineous. A mixture of barriques and puncheons is used to moderate oak influence; overall, 25% new oak is used. The wine spends 10 months total in oak.

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, 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.

Food Pairing: With citrus aromas and a cleansing and fresh palate, this Chardonnay pairs especially well with seafood. Partner it with a delicate fish like flounder or blue cod.