Mystery Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 (02)

Description

• Subtle French oak
• Lemon pudding
• Stone fruit
• Creamy mouth feel

"Lovely bouquet with a mix of stone fruit and citrus varietal messages alongside vanilla and toasty wood & spice scents of oak. Dry on the palate with a gentle creamy layer, distinctive firm texture from the oak and acidity adding synergy but also revealing a layer of flint and mineral - collectively some poise and tension carrying the palate to the fairly lengthy and finer finish" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

Bright straw-yellow in colour, the bouquet is seamless with aromas of delicious lemon pudding and stone-fruit, framed with biscuity, mealy nuances. The palate has medium weight with a beautiful creamy mouth feel, balanced with vibrant acidity, exuding flavours of buttery pastry and an almond, pear tarte tatin, enveloped with subtle French oak. The wine has great length with the minerality lingering on the finish.

Fruit intensity and flavour complexity are determined in the vineyard; here winemakers exploit known flavour differences between Chardonnay clones and two distinctly different vineyard sites. Gravel rich, free draining and devigourating soil profile and 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.