Starborough Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2019

Description

• French oak
• Ripe citrus
• Stonefruit
• Nutty finish

"Beautifully styled and expressed, the fragrant bouquet shows yellow peach, baked fig, vanillin oak and brioche characters. The palate delivers excellent weight and rounded mouthfeel, wonderfully complemented by elegant oak infusion and lingering creamy texture. Flavoursome and highly appealing. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2020

A full and concentrated Chardonnay with complex flavours of ripe citrus and yellow stone fruits. The textures are fine and the flavours are mouthfilling with a strong core that carries to a full, citrus and nutty finish with lemon-curd and toasty oak. 

This single vineyard Chardonnay was sourced from 100% Mendoza clone from their Long Lane Vineyard located in the Lower Dashwood area off the Awatere Valley. The yeild on the 2 cane VSP (vertical shoot position) trained vines were closely monitored through the growing season. Targeted shoot thinning was completed after early shoot growth to produce low yeilding intensely concentrated fruit. Further fruit thinning and hand leaf plucking was performed post veraison to further enhance bunch uniformity and ripeness. The fruit was hand-picked in cool early morning conditions at peak maturity and flavour development.

The fruit was whole bunch pressed and settled before undergoing fermentation using wild yeast in a combination of old and new French oak barrels. The wine was less stirred regularly to build texture and creaminess to the palate. After full malolactic fermentation the wine was aged for 11 months in barrel (50% new oak). The wine was bottled in late March.