Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2018

Description

• Beautifully fruited
• Fig & vanilla
• Gun smoke 
• Bright acidity

"Beautifully fruited and inviting, the wine shows apricot, apple, fig and vanilla characters on the nose with a hint of gun smoke. It's succulent and rounded on the palate with excellent weight and intensity, backed by creamy mouthfeel and bright acidity, finishing long and complex" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2020

It is lemon/straw in colour, with delicate aromas of white peach and citrus, together with some underlying savoury notes of toast and hazelnut. There is also a hint of struck match, adding complexity and a flinty minerality. The wine has satisfying concentration on the palate, however remains elegant and focussed, with refreshing acidity and a lingering finish.

Settled weather in North Canterbury during December provided optimal conditions for flowering. A very hot summer then enabled the fruit to ripen beautifully. The free draining stony soil helped mitigate the effects of some late summer rain, and the ensuing dry autumn meant the fruit was harvested in excellent condition.

Traditional Burgundian winemaking methods are used. The fruit was handpicked in stages during early April and then the whole bunches gently pressed. The non-clarified juice was then put into large French oak barriques, where it underwent primary fermentation by the grapes’ natural yeasts. The wine was then matured in these barriques on its own yeast lees (sur lie). In the summer after harvest, it started to go through spontaneous secondary (malolactic) fermentation. It was regularly tasted during this time and the fermentation was stopped when the ideal balance was obtained. It had approximately 12 months maturation prior to bottling.

Main Divide is the local name for the Southern Alps and is the backbone of the South Island, where grapes for Main Divide are exclusively sourced. Vineyards have been selected for their quality and ability to express unique regional flavours.