Mystery Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 (02)

Description

"The owner believes that Marlborough Chardonnay needs at least five years in bottle and tank. He includes 14.9% of older wine matured in 1000 litre oak fuders to add weight and complexity. This is a rich, developed, concentrated and weighty chardonnay with impressive complexity. A flavoursome wine that's great value at this price" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Nov 2018

"A gorgeously maturing Chardonnay; the beautifully lifted bouquet shows golden peach, baked apple, lemon curd and roasted cashew notes with hints of spice and vanilla. The palate delivers excellent weight and intensity, wonderfully complemented by creamy mouthfeel and refreshing acidity. Flavoursome and complex" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2018

"Bright, full, pale golden-hued yellow colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is softly fresh and accessible aromas of citrus fruit and yellow stonefruits harmoniously entwined with creamy barrel-ferment and nutty, toasty oak, a little buttery MLF, unfolding refreshing steely, mineral elements. Medium-full bodied, the palate is rich and harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe citrus and yellow stonefruits entwined with creamy barrel-ferment and nutty, toasty oak and mealy complexing detail. The mouthfeel is fresh and bright around a soft textured core that is allied to lively acidity. The wine carries along a light-textured line with some dry phenolic grip leading to a finish with buttery MLF nuances. This s a harmoniously developed Chardonnay with stonefruit and citrus flavours along with nutty and creamy oak and buttery MLF on a fine, fresh palate with dry textures. Match with roasted and grilled seafood, poultry and pork over the next 3+ years" Raymond Chan, Dec 2018

2014 proved to be a “perfect storm” for Marlborough fruitfulness. Spring was warm and early, so the number of buds that grew (bud initiation) was nearly 100%. Conditions also led to high bunch numbers per shoot (inflorescence numbers), 15-20% above average.

Early December flowering was warm and dry, ensuring near 100% flower fertilisation and 10-15% more berries per bunch. They initiated both shoot and whole cane bunch thinning strategies to gain some control over the potential crop level. Summer growing conditions were perfect, allowing ideal plant growth.
Ripening began in February, 7 days early, but soon slowed as the plant began to feel the effects of the extra crop. Thank goodness the February to April (veraison) weather was kind. Harvest was back to the normal start time around 1st April. They worked night and day, finishing on the 17th of April, just ahead of persistent warm rain. All in all a very solid vintage in terms of quality, if you were prepared to aggressively crop thin and get your fruit ripe and harvested before the rain. A vintage that will see good viticulture and winemaking shine.

Fruit intensity and flavour complexity are determined in the vineyard; here we exploit known flavour differences between Chardonnay clones and two distinctly different vineyard sites. One; gravel rich, free draining and devigourating soil profile and two: a very special site with geologically older soils composed of crushed river stones, intermixed with clay.

The grapes were machine harvested over a 7 day period, with 50% of the press free-run juice being put into new and older oak barriques for high solids primary and secondary malolactic fermentation prior to 10 month yeast autolysis maturation. The remaining 50% of the juice was cool fermented in stainless steel tanks with some oak staves and aged with yeast lees stirring.

Food Pairing: Match with roasted and grilled seafood, poultry and pork.