The Ramsay Central Otago Chardonnay 2017

Description

Honey, Oak, Pastry

A powerful yet elegant wine which exhibits riverstone, biscotti, peach kernel and honeydew aromatics. This wine shows great density and texture, persistence and drive with good memory, generosity and a lively freshness.

Central Otago fruit grown at the Ramsay Parkburn Vineyard in the Cromwell Basin.

After a relatively mild winter, the growing season started with a cool Spring and a Summer period that was cooler than the previous six seasons. This resulted in a slightly later flowering period and subsequent fruit-set in December. The fruit was hand-picked at optimum ripeness from 2 different Chardonnay blocks within the vineyard on the 18th of April. The long slow ripening period delivered small, compact bunches and berries with elegant flavours.

The grapes were whole bunch pressed to tank, settled over night then barrelled down to French oak barriques - of which 10% were new. The juice began fermentation naturally and took several weeks to ferment dry.  After primary fermentation the wine was inoculated with Malo culture and then once though malolactic fermentation was matured for ten months in oak. During this time the barrels were stirred weekly until it was felt that enough added texture had been achieved. The wine is Chablis like in nature with the emphasis being on balance and rinse rather than winemaking influence.