Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2023

Description

Oak, Pastry, Vanilla

"Lots to like about the bouquet and palate of this wine - aromas of barrel spice and roasted peaches, grapefruit and roasted Brazil-nut butter, a rich lees quality and power. A full-bodied, spice and nut rich attack framed by ripe stone fruit and pomaceous fruit flavours, smoke, toasty barrel and spice highlights. A lovely new world style and example. Complex and lengthy, best drinking from day of purchase through 2029" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

Lemon zest, stone fruit and a toasted smokiness together with a touch of flint provide an intriguing nose. The palate has intense citrus flavours with a complex array of other characters including spice and vanilla from the oak and brioche from lees contact. In terms of weight, this is a rich, full flavoured wine but beautifully balanced by a fresh acidity. This powerful yet elegant wine will continue to develop favourably for some time, becoming more mellow with age. Enjoy from now and over the next five years.

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 produce wines with a distinct minerality. Chardonnay is an early variety for us, and it arrived at the winery in pristine condition, perfectly ripe and full of flavour. The wine is predominantly from 25yr old Mendoza vines (88%) and for the first time a small portion of a newer clone, 548, which was planted in 2018. The grapes were harvested on the 21st and 22nd of March.

The grapes are hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed, and the juice settled briefly before being racked to French oak barrels (22% of which were new). The juice was fermented with wild yeast (rather than being inoculated with a cultured yeast) and afterwards, was allowed 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, chicken, pork and char-grilled foods, roasted vegetables, dishes with creamy or buttery sauces, pumpkin and other root vegetables.