The Crossings Wild Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2018

Description

• Dry style
• Wild fermented
• Ripe stone fruit
• French oak

The Crossings ‘Wild’ Chardonnay is a wine of purity, elegance and restraint. With minimal winemaker influence, this wine openly expresses the vineyard from which it came from. This barrel selection Chardonnay presents enlivened notes of succulent white stone fruit, with floral and citrus undertones. The palate is elegant with ripe stone fruit, vibrant fresh acidity and a persistent finish. The wine was filtered prior to bottling.

Sustainably grown in the premium sub-region of the Awatere Valley, The Crossings range of wines are a pure and elegant expression of Marlborough. Beneath the towering peak of Mt. Tapuae-o-Uenuku, where early settlers crossed the fast-flowing Awatere River, the distinct riverside vineyards produce wines of intense varietal character and vibrant acidity.

The fruit for this wine was from 23 year-old vines that have been proven to produce excellent fruit year on year. This Chardonnay was hand-picked at full ripeness from the 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. The grapes were harvested on the 28th of March when the flavours were optimum.

In the winery, the hand harvested grapes were lightly whole bunch pressed and the juice cold settled before fermenting in barrels. After fermentation, the Chardonnay spent 18 months in aged French oak barrels, from which a small portion was then selected to make this wine. 

Food Pairing: Enjoy with mushroom risotto, cheese boards, roast chicken and light salads.