OTU Limited Release Marlborough Chardonnay 2023

Description

Lemon, Oak, Pastry

"Refined and stylish, the wine shows ripe nectarine, rockmelon, lemon peel and roasted almond characters with a lovely flinty overtone. The palate displays excellent weight and focus, wonderfully framed by fleshy texture and beautifully pitched acidity, finishing long and engaging. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sep 2024

Quince, citrus and white flower notes. Toasted oak and hot buttered toast aromas from a full malolactic fermentation. This generous wine delivers fragrant citrus blossom and white peach notes which are enhanced with French oak spice and subtle flint tones. Weighty palate features complex flavours of ripe lemon curd with hints of ginger, spice and nectarine. The fresh acidity and fruit concentration gives a beautiful length to the palate.

The 2023 growing season was fraught with significant weather events for all of New Zealand, in the form of tropical rain rivers causing widespread flooding and the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle. Marlborough was fortunately blessed with moderate rainfall, a late but prolific flowering period throughout November and December, and a stunning late, long summer which delivered ripe and concentrated parcels of Clones 95 and Mendoza Chardonnay from selected premium vineyards in the Awatere and Wairau Valley. A long warm summer with higher-than-average rainfall, lead to grapes achieving high sugars and low acidities.

During the overall ripening period of January through to early March a warm, but higher rainfall than normal maximized the crops for the 2023 season. A sunny, warm and dry finish enabled the harvest team to bring in the fruit with full, ripe flavours.

Food Pairing: Delicious with pork belly.