Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2016

Description

"Classy, concentrated chardonnay with peach, nectarine, subtle citrus and spicy oak flavours. A smooth-textured wine with a lingering finish. Absolutely delicious now but no rush" Bob Campbell, Master Of Wine, Real Review, Mar 2018

Pale gold in the glass with a fragrant nose showing peach, popcorn and toasted hazelnut with smoky nuances. Palate is round and silky with nectarine, ripe grapefruit and biscuit notes.

Sourced primarily from Saint Clair’s vineyards in Marlborough’s Omaka valley where a combination of warm days, cool nights and clay based soils contribute to greater retention of fruit flavours. The fruit is a blend of Chardonnay clones, predominantly Mendoza and Burgundian Clone 95. The vines were monitored carefully during ripening and hand harvested at optimum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

The fruit was lightly whole bunch pressed and the juice fermented in American oak barrels, fifty per cent of which were new, using selected yeast strains. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation, followed by ten months aging on yeast lees with regular stirring. Only the very best barrels were selected for the Omaka Reserve Chardonnay. Drinking beautifully now, this wine will continue to evolve and reward over the next five to ten years with careful cellaring.

Food Pairing: This is Saint Clair’s owners Neal and Judy Ibbotson’s perfect wine to have alongside roast chicken.