Giesen Small Batch Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018

Description

• Oaked
• Toasty brioche
• Ripe stonefruit
• Buttery finish

"It is complex and immensely appealing on the nose showing golden peach, fig, nougat and roasted hazelnut characters, leading to a concentrated palate that is supple and fleshy. The wine offers fabulous fruit power together with creamy mouthfeel and stylish oak infusion, finishing long and satisfying. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2019

Aromas of ripe stone fruit and toasty brioche greet you and lead into a rich full palate with a buttery finish. This Small Batch wine is classic Hawke's Bay Chardonnay - rich with notes of stone fruit delivered with length.

This limited release Chardonnay from the Small Batch collection is crafted from the best sites throughout Hawke's Bay, primarily of Puketapu, home to the region's oldest and best vines. 

The 2018 growing season was legendary, with the hottest January on record and one of the best flowerings in living memory. Due to this unusually hot growing season, plentiful bunches of evenly ripened berries were harvested nearly two weeks earlier than usual. The season gave fruit with bright acidity which is an important characteristic to this wine’s careful balance of luscious tropical fruit characters and refreshing acidity.

Hand selected grapes were pressed and the juice was settled for 12 hours before transfer to French oak barrels for fermentation. A selection of yeast strains were used to both capture and enhance the multitude of aromas and flavours within the fruit. To help develop a creamy texture, the Chardonnay was left on lees in barrel for nine months. After a barrel selection tasting, the Small Batch Chardonnay blend was finalised, filtered and bottled with minimal handling.

Food Pairing: We suggest pairing this delightful Chardonnay with meaty fish or shellfish, for extra taste, complement this wine with toasty flavours such as toasted nuts, pastry crust or grilled and smoked meat.