Te Kairanga John Martin Martinborough Chardonnay 2023

Description

Fig, Oak, Vanilla

"Stylish and enticing, the wine shows apricot, fig, vanilla and almond meal characters on the nose, followed by a wonderfully weighted palate offering creamy mouthfeel and beautifully pitched acidity. Harmonious and structured with a persistent, refined finish. At its best: now to 2033" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2024

A fragrant, refined bouquet with complex notes of florals, citrus and white peach fruits, nuts and mineral characters. The palate is lively and concentrated with an elegant savoury texture and a fresh acidity to finish.

Established in 1984, Te Kairanga is an important part of the Martinborough wine story. Our home vineyards are planted on land that was originally owned by the founding father of Martinborough, John Martin. While our land is steeped in history, our winemaking is very much focused on the future.

Grapes for this wine are selected from our East Plain vineyards on the Martinborough Terrace, one of New Zealand’s most coveted winegrowing sub-regions. Once a riverbed, it features deep ancient alluvial gravel soils. Our vineyards are sustainably farmed.

A challenging and atypical season impacted by wetter than usual growing conditions. An extensive effort by our vineyard team throughout the season ensured fruit still arrived into the winery in a good condition. Our 2023 white wines are refined and elegantly expressive.

Under the direction of Chief Winemaker, John Kavanagh, our winemaking philosophy places a premium on the character of each vineyard. Crafted from the best parcels, the fruit for John Martin Chardonnay is hand-harvested. It is sorted in the winery, gently whole-bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast. The wine was aged for 10 months in French oak with regular lees stirring to enhance texture and flavour. Partial malolactic fermentation helps provide a subtle creaminess complexity. The wine is racked from barrel and blended very gently with minimal intervention through to bottling.

Food Pairing: A perfect match for Bluff oysters or pan seared snapper.