Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2018

Description

Classically Hawke's Bay in style, this Chardonnay reveals a fragrant nose of grilled peach and nectarine stone fruit, with complexing cashew characters from subtle French oak. A silken textured mouthfeel unfolds with layers of fruit, delicate oak spice and subtle mealy flavours topped with wonderful acidity.

The 2018 Hawke's Bay vintage followed on from officially one of the warmest summers on record. Harvest commenced in early March and immediately came under intense weather pressure from rain, leading to an early and compressed harvest for Chardonnay. Fruit from several prestigious Chardonnay vineyards throughout Hawke's Bay feature. Once harvested and pressed the resulting juice was fermented in a mixture of French and Hungarian oak barriques (13% new) prior to 11 months maturation on full yeast lees.

Food Pairing: A classic match with most white meats, rich seafood dishes, cheese and salads. Also highly enjoyable on its own.