Paritua Stone Paddock Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2021

Description

• Lightly oaked
• Nougat
• Grapefruit
• Zesty acidity

"Bright, very pale straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The wine has a soft bouquet, slowly opening with some depth, aromas of stonefruit, citrus interweave slightly nutty, oaky elements. Medium-bodied, ripe flavoured peach melded with Meyer lemon, unfolding nougat, barrel spice on the palate. The fruit is perfectly ripe with balanced sweetness and acidity. Lightly use of oak contributes to nutty nougat and spice details; creamy lees and zesty phenolics broaden the mid-palate with weight and texture. This is a harmonious Chardonnay with flavours of ripe peach, citrus adorned by nutty oak and creamy lees details. Match with chicken and pork over the next 3+ years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, Oct 2021

"Elegant and restrained, the wine shows white flesh nectarine, lemon peel, flint and hazelnut characters on the nose, followed by a finely textured palate delivering bright fruit intensity combined with crisp acidity, finishing linear and lingering. At its best: now to 2026" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2021

The 2021 Stone Paddock Chardonnay is a lightly oaked wine. Showing ripe peach and stonefruit aromas with hints of nougat and grapefruit. The gentle influence of battonage accentuates the sweet peach flavours, the texture is luscious with a full rich mid palate and zesty acidity accentuated by the grapefruit citrus fruit finish.

The Chardonnay is planted on the most western part of the vineyard clones 95 and 15 are grown on a standard two cane canopy. Fruit exposure is limited to achieve excellent flavour and phenolics balance.

Several batches of machine harvested fruit were de-stemmed to press. After a slow and gentle pressing cycle the juice was settled and then fermented in stainless steel tanks at relatively warm temperatures, to minimize reductive or flinty notes. About half the wine was fermented in seasoned oak puncheons. They use selected yeast strains to create complexity and depth. The wine is kept on yeast lees for several months with regular lees stirring (battonage) to help develop complexity and richness, before blending, and filtration.

Food Pairing: This Chardonnay is a refreshing style and will be a great accompaniment with seafood and poultry dishes, and with time it will grow to a well rounded wine to be drunk with white meat and game fowl dishes, Drink now or cellar up to 2027 or longer.