Mystery Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay 2023

Description

Peach, Pear, Unoaked

"Attractively fruited and friendly, the wine shows rockmelon, fig, Gala apple and lemon peel aromas on the nose, followed by a nicely rounded palate that's juicy and smooth. Immediately approachable and reasy to enjoy. At its best: now to 2026" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2023

This 2023 Unoaked Chardonnay has ripe peach and pear aromas on the nose. Palate is supple with silky texture and gentle succulent ripe stonefruit flavours. Enjoy!

The Chardonnay fruit for this 2023 Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay is harvested from our Rabbit Island vineyard, Brightwater vineyard and a small portion from our Redwood Valley vineyard. The Rabbit Island vineyard is situated on a wide river flat. The soil is gravelly sandy loam which is very free-draining. This vineyard ranges in age from six years to 32 years and are about 1.5 km from the sea, which helps moderate temperatures. Our Brightwater vineyard is situated 15 km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders, which is very hard on farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and for ripening the grapes. The unirrigated Redwood Valley vineyard is situated on a gently sloping, northfacing clay site; the vines range in age from 10 - 30 years. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness.

Traditionally Chardonnay is made in an oaked style, however we are often asked: what does Chardonnay as a grape variety with no oak ageing taste like? This is it! The fruit for our 2023 Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay came into the winery in perfect condition. The grapes were pressed, and the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to capture the natural tropical fruit characters of the grape variety, without influence from oak. The wine has undergone partial maloactic fermentation to soften its natural acidity. The wine was then stabilised and bottled in September 2023.