State of Flux Marlborough Chardonnay 2018

Description

• Subtle oak
• Peach
• Almond
• Spiced apricot 

Full bodied with complex depth of flavours. Highly layered with a persistent creamy spiced apricot finish. Complex and layered. Concentrated baked yellow apple, peach, dried apricots and graphite with hints of almond and spices.

"I love the purity of varietal expression that you get from fermenting and aging in the concrete eggs. Having spent 11 months on lees, the wines are complex, textural, yet beautifully fresh. Enjoy!" Natalie Christensen, Chief Winemaker

Hand-harvested from 25 year old vines, this Chardonnay spent 11 months in a concrete egg. The wine went through full malolactic fermentation creating a textural and pure Chardonnay, unmasked by oak allowing the true fruit flavours to show.

This Chablis-style Chardonnay has been fermented and aged in very limited quantities using a concrete egg. The heat generated through fermentation combined with the shape of the vessel creates convection currents causing the lees to be in a constant state of flux. Block features: Upper terrace 100 metres from the Awatere River and 26km inland from the coast with large diurnal shifts. The soil is rocky and sandy loam.

The growing season in Marlborough started out warm and dry, resulting in even flowering and ultimately balanced vines with the right amount of crop to get them through to harvest. The warm weather continued through Spring and Summer, with periodic rains which kept the vines hydrated throughout the growing season. This Chardonnay was handpicked from their stunning Medway vineyard in the Awatere Valley, renowned for having extremely tough growing conditions with very hard soils and huge diurnal shifts. The fluctuating temperatures enabled great flavour to develop during the hot days, yet retain natural acidity and freshness from the cold nights. This has created a full-flavoured Chardonnay that is rich but still pure and lively.

Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit was destemmed into a 1700L concrete egg fermenter and kept on gross lees for 11 months. The wine went through full malolactic fermentation creating a textural and pure Chardonnay, unmasked by oak allowing the true fruit flavours to show.

Suitable for vegetarians, vegans and a gluten free diet.

Enjoy now, or has the potential to cellar.

Food Pairing: Grilled fish, cheese boards, roast chicken.