Rapaura Springs Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2019

Description

• French oak
• Apricot & mango
• Vanilla & brioche
• Butter & sweet spice

"It's wonderfully ripe and complex, showing apricot, mango, vanillin oak and brioche characters on the nose. The palate displays excellent weight and expansive mouthfeel, together with layers of rich texture and delectable flavours, finishing impressively long and delicious. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jan 2021

The Reserve Chardonnay is concentrated and delicious. Aromas of honey suckle, white peach, nectarine and preserved lemons are complimented by attractive oak and butter. On the palate, it is full bodied with stone fruit and melon flavours combined with a toasty, sweet spice influence from French Oak maturation. Drinking beautifully on release it will continue to reward careful cellaring for 3-5 years.

Fruit for the 2019 Reserve Chardonnay is grown predominately in the Southern Valleys sub-region. Extended hot and dry weather before the 2019 harvest allowed the team to pick the Chardonnay when perfectly ripe. After harvest, the fruit was pressed, and the juice fermented in a combination of French oak barriques and puncheons, with 24% new oak. Malolactic fermentation has softened the wine and added extra texture and complexity to the palate.

The Reserve wines are expertly crafted from selected vineyards with impressive flavour concentration and palate weight. Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells the story of a lifetime. Of water and wine, and of generations of family working with nature. The 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.