Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Description

• Oaked
• White peach
• Vanilla & flint
• Balanced

"Bright, pale yellow with some depth, a slight green hue, and even colour throughout. The nose is full and elegantly presented, with aromas of stonefruit, citrus melded with well-portioned struck match, roasted almond and a buttery underlay. Medium-full bodied, aromas of stonefruit, grapefruit and roasted almond grow in volume as it aerated, unfolding pastry, flint and minerals. The mouthfeel is smooth, lightly coated on the palate with chalky phenolics. Well-balanced acidity supports and lengthens, counterbalancing the toasty elements. This elegant Chardonnay shows fruit's purity and chalky minerals, enriched by toasty barrel details and a lingering finish. Match with roasted poussin and pork loin over the next 5-7 years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, Sep 2022

"An excellent and familiar boquuet filled with a toasty richness from smoky oak, ripe yellow stone fruits, baked grapefruit and sweet oak suggestions. On the palate a full-bodied and toasty rich wine with a satin cream and baked custard texture. Flavours of peaches and cream, vanilla and nectarine, baking spices and citrus. A classic and very pleasing expression with persistent favours, weight and intensity. Great drinking from late 2022 through 2028" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2022 

Complex and enticing grapefruit, citrus and white peach characters are complemented by struck-flint, spice and vanilla. In the glass the wine is loaded with texture. Stone fruit and citrus are underpinned by a flinty mineral flavour and toasty complexity. The wine has great balance and length and will reward cellaring for the next five years.

The Bouldevines Vineyard is located at the entrance to the Omaka Valley, inland from the coast. This vineyard sits in the Southern Valleys, with soils that are stony, alluvial, and free draining. The inland location is cooler, allowing the Chardonnay grapes to achieve optimum ripeness and expressive fruit flavour, while retaining vibrant acidity. perfect harvest, if it wasn’t for COVID-19. A dry spring, summer and autumn reduced disease pressure and supressed berry growth. Late summer brought Marlborough’s trademark cool nights, which aided the development of aromatics and the retention of acidity. The introduction of a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of COVID coincided with the beginning of picking. Our vineyard and winery teams moved incredibly fast to adhere to strict distancing and hygiene protocols to allow us to continue to harvest.

The fruit for this wine was hand-picked in the cool of the morning, then taken straight to the winery and whole-bunch pressed. After pressing, the juice was sent to barrel, including a selection of older and new oak puncheons and barriques (40% new). Here it completed wild fermentation and full malolactic fermentation, before aging for 10 months.

Our Single Vineyard wines hail from premium vineyard sites and represent the best of our region. Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells the story of a lifetime. Of water and wine, and of generations of family working with nature. Our label depicts the rocky aquifer at our home vineyard, and the pristine springs that connect it to our land. We make exceptional wines that reflect our remarkable landscapes, pure waterways and passionate people.