Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2021

Description

• French oak
• Honeysuckle
• Lemon & brioche
• Fresh acidity

This wine offers enticing aromas of lemon, honeysuckle and brioche with subtle hints of smoke and bees’ wax. The palate is rich and is full flavoured - a balance of concentrated, ripe fruit and toasty French oak offset by a thread of fresh, citrus acidity.

From our coastal vineyard where the sea breezes moderate temperatures, this block is situated on the banks of the Wairau Diversion. The silts and river stones combined with our 16 – 20-year-old Mendoza clone vines are the perfect match. The 2021 vintage was rewarding for our Chardonnay which arrived at the winery in pristine condition, perfectly ripe and full of flavour.

Our winemaking practices remain very similar from one year to the next. The grapes are hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed and the juice settled briefly before being racked to French oak barrels (22% new). The juice was fermented ‘wild’ and encouraged to undergo full malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked from barrel and blended prior to being bottled here at the winery some ten months later.

Food Pairing: Seafood, terrines and pates, risotto, creamy pasta dishes, chicken and char-grilled foods, roasted vegetables.